WALES

Manufacturing Industries

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have been employed in the manufacturing sector in Wales in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: The estimated number of employee jobs in the manufacturing sector in Wales in each year since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			  As at September each year  Number 
			 1997 214,006 
			 1998 216,186 
			 1999 206,861 
			 2000 201,647 
			 2001 194,762 
			 2002 184,952 
			 2003 181,649 
			 2004 179.941 
			 2005 172,090 
			 2006 158,004 
			 2007 160,293 
			 2008 154,982 
			 2009 140,593 
			  Source: NOMIS, Employee Job Estimates

Ports

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he had with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport on ports policy between the date of publication of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee's Fifteenth Report of Session 2008-09, on Ports in Wales HC 601 and the date upon which the Government responded to that report.

Wayne David: The Wales Office contributed to the formulation of the Government response to the Welsh Affairs Committee "Ports in Wales" Report for which the Department of Transport was the lead Department. There were no direct discussions between Ministers of the respective departments but the issues raised by the Report are discussed on an ongoing basis.

SCOTLAND

Computer Games Industry

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on assistance to the computer games industry in Scotland.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend has regular discussions with colleagues on a range of issues affecting the games industry in Scotland.
	During a visit to Abertay university, Dundee, in December 2009 my right hon. Friend announced a £2.5 million investment for a games industry centre from the Government's strategic investment fund.

Social Deprivation: Ayrshire

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on policy to reduce levels of social deprivation in Ayrshire.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues about deprivation and reducing poverty including discussions about tax credits, the national minimum wage and employment.

Economic Performance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had on the performance of the Scottish economy.

Jim Murphy: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, representatives from business, trade unions and communities about the performance of the Scottish economy.

Common Agricultural Policy

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on discussions at EU level on reform of the common agricultural policy.

Ann McKechin: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a range of issues.

Departmental Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the estimated  (a) amount and  (b) cost was of energy used in his Department in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office did not centrally record all of its utility usage before the current financial year. This information is, however, now recorded and will be reported in our forthcoming annual report.

Future Jobs Fund

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Future Jobs Fund in Scotland.

Jim Murphy: The Future Jobs Fund is making a significant impact in Scotland. Last week I announced funding for a further 1,371 new jobs in Scotland through the Future Jobs Fund, which brings the total number of jobs created in Scotland to just under 9,000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Dubai: Death

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Dubai on the alleged murder of a Palestinian national by a group alleged to include British passport holders; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) of 22 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 22-23.

Dubai: Death

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Israel on the use of British passports in association with the death in Dubai of a Palestinian national; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The defrauding of British passports is unacceptable. The Government will continue to take all the action that is necessary to protect British nationals from identity-fraud. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made this clear in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman in Brussels on 23 February 2010.

Nigeria: Human Rights

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the human rights record of the government of Nigeria.

Chris Bryant: The UK is committed to supporting the Government of Nigeria in addressing the human rights challenges it faces. We welcome Acting President Jonathan's commitment of 9 February 2010 to ensuring the safety and security of Nigerians' lives and property while respecting human rights.
	We have recently raised our concerns with the appropriate state and federal authorities about issues such as the rights of children in Akwa Ibom state, the handling of unrest by the Nigerian security services in Maiduguri in 2009 and Jos in 2010, as well as allegations of extra judicial killings by the Nigerian police force in Enugu state, as identified in Amnesty International's report of 9 December 2009. These issues have been covered particularly in discussions with the Inspector General of the Nigerian police force and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Our high commission in Abuja and the Department for International Development (DFID) will continue to raise UK concerns at the highest level, and to encourage reform and accountability in Nigeria's police force, for example through DFID's Justice for All programme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Drugs: Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of illegal drugs trafficked through the UK.

Alan Campbell: The trafficking of drugs to the UK is the subject of constant attention by the law enforcement agencies working collaboratively, in the United Kingdom and overseas, against the drugs and individuals involved. In 2008-09 SOCA was involved, with partner agencies, in seizures of 88 tonnes of cocaine and heroin. SOCA works closely with international partners to help them destroy production capability in source countries and deny traffickers the ability to operate their routes to the UK. This enforcement activity appears to have contributed to increases in the wholesale price of cocaine and a reduction in its purity at street level, changes which are suggestive of a shortage of supply of the drug in the UK.
	We are currently implementing the recommendations of 'Extending Our Reach: a comprehensive approach to tackling serious organised crime' which was published in July 2009 which, through a wide range of measures, will improve the UK's effectiveness against organised crime, including drugs trafficking.

Drugs: Crime

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in  (a) Europe,  (b) the US and  (c) Afghanistan on measures to tackle the trafficking of illegal drugs.

Alan Campbell: I had discussions with US counterparts (John Brennan, the President's Assistant on Counter-Terrorism, Janet Napolitano, the Homeland Security Secretary, and Eric Holder, the Attorney General) in Washington in September. We discussed measures to tackle the trafficking of illegal drugs, looking at source countries and supply routes. Our discussions immediately followed my visit to the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force in Key West, Florida, where joint work is producing strong results in interdicting the traffic in cocaine from Latin America and the Caribbean. I secured agreement for the creation of a senior level US/UK group on organised crime, to include counter narcotics activity.
	In my absence on other business earlier this month, Lord West met Gil Kerlikowske, the US Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, in London and a number of common issues were discussed, including operational cooperation in tackling drug trafficking.
	I continue to take a close interest in EU proposals and actions to tackle drug trafficking, where UK officials are fully engaged with our EU colleagues, focussing on work in Latin America and the Caribbean, West Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Powers of Entry

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to his Department's document entitled Guidance on Powers of Entry-Scrutiny by the Home Department, how many requests for new powers of entry from organisations other than the police have been  (a) approved and  (b) refused by his Department since October 2007.

David Hanson: Applications are submitted to the Home Department in accordance with guidance issued to Government Departments on entry powers:
	http://www.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/GuidanceonPowersofEntry.html
	The function of referral to the Home Office is to assist Departments in complying with that guidance rather than refusing applications. The following statutory provisions have been subject to referral to my Department since October 2007.
	
		
			  Current Bills before Parliament 
			   Statute  Department responsible  Number of powers 
			 1 Cluster Munitions (Prohibitions) Bill BIS 2 
			  cl. 12 Power to enter premises and search for prohibited munitions   
			  cl. 21 Power to search and obtain evidence: issue of warrant   
			 
			 2 Flood and Water Management Bill DEFRA 1 
			  Sch.1 para. 13 Powers of entry without warrant.   
			 
			 3 Sunbeds (Regulation) Bill 2009-10 DOH 1 
			  cl. 7 Enforcement by local Authorities   
		
	
	
		
			  Secondary legislation 
			   Year  Statute  Department responsible  Number of powers 
			 1 2000 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (as amended by Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 MOJ 1 
			   Schedule 19B Investigatory powers of Electoral Commission-Para. 2: Issue by JP of Inspection warrants authorising EC staff to enter premises   
			  
			 2 2006 Childcare Act 2006 (as amend by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009) Part 3A Inspection of Children Centres. DCSF 2 
			   s.98D: Inspection of Children Centres powers of entry without warrant.   
			   s.98F: Power of constable to assist in exercise of power of entry under a warrant.   
			  
			 3 2008 Regulatory and Enforcement Sanctions Act 2008 BIS (BERR) - 
			   Part 3 s.55 Power to make Order conferring/extending powers of entry, search seizure.   
			  
			 4 2008 Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Repeals and replaces powers of entry etc. under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003) DOH 1 
			   s.62-65: Powers of person authorised by Care Quality Commission to enter and inspect regulated premises.   
			  
			 5 2008 Pensions Act 2008 DWP - 
			   s.61 amends 2004 Act   
			   http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2008/pdf/ukpga_20080030_en.pdf   
			  
			 6 2009 Banking Act 2009-Enforcement of inter-bank payment system HMT 1 
			   s.194: JP may issue warrant to authorised BoE inspector appointed under s.193 or constable to enter and search premises/part of premises where inter-bank payment system is managed or operated.   
			  
			 7 2009 Coroners and Justice Act 2009-Powers for Coroners to investigate deaths MOJ 1 
			   Schedule 5: para. 3 Chief Coroner may authorise senior coroner to enter and search land   
			  
			 8 2009 Data Protection Act 1998 (as amended by Coroners and Justice Act 2009, Sch. 20 Part 6) MOJ 1 
			   Schedule 9 (Powers of Entry and Inspection): Para. 1(1A)/(1B): Allows circuit judge or District Judge to grant warrant to authorise DP Commissioner to enter and search premises specified in an assessment notice to determine whether data controller is complying with DP principles.   
			  
			 9 2009 Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 Part 8, Chapter 2 Common enforcement powers DEFRA 4 
			   s.246: Power of enforcement officer to board and inspect vessels and marine installations   
			   s.247: Power of enforcement officer to enter and inspect premises for purposes of exercising functions.   
			   s.248: Power of enforcement officer to enter and inspect vehicles purposes of exercising functions.   
			   s.249/Schedule 17: Provides for issue of warrant to authorise enforcement officer to enter a dwelling. (Believed these provisions may replace one or more powers in marine/fishery protection/regulation type legislation) DEFRA   
		
	
	
		
			  Secondary legislation 
			  No.  Year  SI No.  Authority  Title  Department  No. of powers 
			 1. 2008 2347 European Communities Act 1972 Sea Fishing (Recovery Measures) Order 2008 [2008/2347] DEFRA 3 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20082347_en_1 Reg. 13 Powers of British sea-fishery officers in relation to fishing boats   
			 Reg. 14 Powers of British sea-fishery officers on land   
			 Reg. 15 Warrant to enter premises   
			
			 2. 2008 2795 European Communities Act 1972 Cat and Dog Fur (Control of Import, Export and Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 [2008/2795] BIS 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20082795_en_1 Reg. 3: Powers of investigation and enforcement.   
			
			 3. 2009 1899 European Communities Act 1972 Motor Vehicles (Replacement Catalytic Converters and Pollution Control Devices) Regulations 2009 [2009/1899] Reg. 9(2) and Schedule Para. 5: Powers of search etc. DFT 2 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20091899_en_1 (2): Power of authorised enforcement officer to enter premises without warrant-not dwellings   
			 (5): JP may issue warrant authorising authorised enforcement officer to enter premises   
			
			 4. 2009 261 European Communities Act 1972 Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2009 [2009/261] (Revoke and remake with amendments the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases Regulations 2008/41) DEFRA 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090261_en_1 Reg. 46: Powers of authorised persons to enforce regulations.   
			
			 5. 2009 2048 European Communities Act 1972 Port Security Regulations 2009 [2009/2048] DFT 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/pdf/uksi_20092048_en.pdf Reg. 25: Powers of a constable, port security officers and others to enter and search controlled buildings in designated ports.   
			
			 6. 2009 463 European Communities Act 1972 Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 [2009/463] DEFRA 2 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090463_en_5 Reg. 32(2): Entry and inspection of land and premises w/o warrant.   
			 Reg. 32(3): Warrant to enter dwelling   
			
			 7. 2009 360 European Communities Act 1972 European Fisheries Fund (Grants) (Wales) Regulations 2009 [2009/360] NAFW 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2009/wsi_20090360_en_1 Reg. 12: Powers of authorised officers.   
			
			 8. 2009 842 European Communities Act 1972 Organic Products Regulations [2009/842] (revoke and replace Organic Products Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1604) DEFRA 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090842_en_4#pt5-l1g26 Reg. 23: Powers of entry-authorised officers   
			 Reg. 24: Powers after entry   
			
			 9. 2009 209 European Communities Act 1972 Payment Services Regulations 2009 [2009/209] HMT 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090209_en_8 Reg. 83: Entry, inspection without a warrant etc-FSA officer   
			
			 10. 2009 717 European Communities Act 1972 Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2009 [2009/717] DFT 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090717_en_7#pt6-pb1-l1g34 Reg. 34: Powers of entry-authorised person   
			
			 11. 2009 216 European Communities Act 1972 Ozone-Depleting Substances (Qualifications) Regulations 2009 [2009/216] (revoke and replace, with amendments, Ozone Depleting Substances (Qualifications) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1510) DEFRA 1 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20090216_en_1 Reg. 8: Powers of an authorised person   
			
			 12. 2009 2194 European Communities Act 1972 Motor Vehicles (Refilling of Air Conditioning Systems by Service Providers) Regulations [2009/2194] Reg. 8: Powers of search etc. DFT 2 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20092194_en_1 (2): Power of authorised enforcement officer to enter premises without warrant -not dwellings   
			 (4): JP may issue warrant authorising authorised enforcement officer to enter premises   
			
			 13. 2009 1361 European Communities Act 1972 Marketing of Fresh Horticultural Produce Regulations 2009 [2009/1361] DEFRA 2 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/uksi_20091361_en_1 Reg. 7(1) Power of authorised officer to enter without warrant to enforce Regs.   
			 Reg. 7(4): Entry on warrant   
			
			 14. 2009 1551 European Communities Act 1972 Marketing of Fresh Horticultural Produce (Wales) Regulations 2009 [2009/1551] W151 NAFW 2 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2009/wsi_20091551_en_1 Reg. 7(1) Power of authorised officer to enter without warrant to enforce Regs.   
			 Reg. 7(4): Entry on warrant   
			
			 15. 2008 3252 European Communities Act 1972 Beef and Veal Labelling Regulations 2008 [2008/3252]   
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/pdf/uksi_20083252_en.pdf Reg. 6(1) Entry to inspect w/o warrant DEFRA 2 
			 Reg. 6(3) Entry on warrant   
			 Revokes Beef Labelling (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2000 [2000/3047]   
			
			 16. 2009 1850 European Communities Act 1972  DEFRA 3 
			http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2009/pdf/uksi_20091850_en.pdf Sea Fishing (Landing and Weighing of Herring, Mackerel and Horse Mackerel) Order 2009 [2009/1850]   
			 Reg. 11 Powers of British sea-fishery officers in relation to fishing boats   
			 Reg. 12 Powers of British sea-fishery officers on land   
			 Reg. 13 Warrant to enter premises   
			
			 17. 2010 Await European Communities Act 1972 (Proposed) Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (England) Regulations 2009 DEFRA - 
			
			 18. 2010 Await European Communities Act 1972 (Proposed) Red Meat Industry (Wales) Measure NAFW -

UK Border Agency: Overtime

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the UK Border Agency spent on overtime payments to civil servants at grade  (a) 5 and  (b) 6 in each of the last two years.

Phil Woolas: The amount that the UK Border Agency spent on overtime payments to civil servants at grade  (a) senior civil service and  (b) six in each of the last two years was  (a) nothing and  (b) £1,684.
	Home Office civil servants in the UK Border Agency at grade  (a) 5, are not eligible for overtime payments and, (this grade has now been re-graded into the senior civil service whose contracts specifically exclude overtime). Civil service staff at grade 6 level are not eligible for overtime payments. There is guidance on discretionary payments instead of overtime, which are used rarely.

Vetting: Compensation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2008,  Official Report, columns 756-7W, on vetting: compensation, how much the Criminal Records Bureau has paid in financial awards to provide redress for customers for maladministration since 1997.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) makes financial awards to redress customers for its maladministration in accordance with Treasury policy.
	The following table shows the number of claims made, the number of those claims which resulted in an award and the amount paid out in each financial year since the Bureau's inception.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total certificates issued  Claims  Awards  Total paid  (£)  Percentage of Awards against total certificates issued 
			 2002-03 1,437,094 340 112 29,882 0.008 
			 2003-04 2,284,688 609 257 108,669 0.011 
			 2004-05 2,430,937 466 125 62,812 0.005 
			 2005-06 2,770,265 532 71 118,272 0.003 
			 2006-07 3,277,957 684 151 165,043 0.005 
			 2007-08 3,23,251 594 151 159,148 0.046 
			 2008-09 3,855,881 1085 301 290,124 0.008 
			 2009-10 3,215,409 1442 265 340,266 0.008 
		
	
	These figures are calculated by financial year and information for 2009-10 contains the figures up to December 2009. The full financial year's figure will not be available until after March 2010.

Work Permits

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits carrying entitlement to settlement in the UK were issued to non-EU citizens in each year since 2005.

Alan Johnson: A work permit does not carry an entitlement to settlement.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to answer question 300301, on departmental pay, tabled on 18 November 2009.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 22 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 346-47W.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to answer question 310383, on fingerprints in passports, tabled on 7 January 2010.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 22 February 2010
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 22 February 2010,  Official Report, column 373W.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Email

Francis Maude: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1211-2W, and pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2010,  Official Report, column 434W, on Members: email, if the House of Commons Commission will direct to be placed on the House of Commons website  (a) a list of the forms of email encryption members of the public can use to communicate securely with their Members of Parliament and  (b) a directory of encryption certificates and PGP keys used by hon. Members.

Nick Harvey: It is a matter for individual Members whether to make details of their encryption software available to their constituents.

Nurseries: Costs

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate he has made of the cost of converting Bellamy's Bar, Bellamy's Club Room and the Astor Suite and surrounding rooms into a crèche, including the cost of all other construction work required associated with the crèche.

Nick Harvey: The cost, including fees, of converting Bellamy's Bar, Bellamy's Club Room and the Astor Suite and surrounding rooms into a nursery is provisionally estimated to be some £490,000 excluding VAT.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Castle Point constituency, the effects on that constituency of changes to his Department's policies since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department's aim is to improve the quality of life for everyone through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries.
	The impact of bodies and policies of my Department on the Castle Point constituency since 1997 include:
	Digital switchover is due to take place in Castle Point in 2012. By the time switchover is complete at the end of 2012, 98.5 per cent. of households nationwide will be able to receive digital TV-the same number that can currently receive analogue.
	Over £4 million of national lottery grants made to applications from the Castle Point constituency since 1995.
	The Castle Point constituency has also benefited from other policies and spending whose impact cannot be broken down by constituency. This includes:
	£4 billion of Exchequer funding spent on culture.
	More than £5.5 billion invested in sport by the Government and the national lottery since 1997.
	Almost 800,000 free swims taken in the south east in the first eight months of the Free Swimming programme.
	A 68 per cent. increase in national museum visits from 1998-99 to 2008-09-10 per cent. of which were by adults from lower socioeconomic groups.
	£416.6 million in grants allocated by English Heritage since 1997.
	48 per cent. of buildings on the original 1999 Buildings at Risk Register having their future secured.
	90 per cent. of all pupils taking part in at least two hours of high quality PE or sport per week in 2008 from an estimated 25 per cent. in 2003-04-exceeding our target.

Departmental Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated  (a) amount and  (b) cost was of energy used in his Department and its agency in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Department for Culture, Media and Sport 
			   Electricity Kwh  Electricity cost (£)  Gas Kwh  Gas cost (£) 
			 2003-04 4,368,200 n/a 3,275,900 n/a 
			 2004-05 4,186,300 n/a 2,643,900 n/a 
			 2005-06 4,438,600 n/a 2,488,400 n/a 
			 2006-07 4,320,100 361,500 2,631,300 86,600 
			 2007-08 3,647,800 293,100 2,135,400 48,800 
			 2008-09 3,091,900 318,500 1,344,400 37,300 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	Since December 2005 the Department has purchased energy generated from 100 per cent. renewable sources. Information relating to years prior to 2003 is not available.
	
		
			  The Royal Parks 
			   Electricity Kwh  Electricity cost (£)  Gas Kwh  Gas cost (£) 
			 1999-2000 (1)- 213,300 (1)- 45,700 
			 2000-01 (1)- 228,400 (1)- 77,900 
			 2001-02 (1)- 208,800 (1)- 78,800 
			 2002-03 (1)- 245,000 (1)- 82,100 
			 2003-04 (1)- 270,200 (1)- 107,000 
			 2004-05 4,141,300 270,600 1,275,700 81,300 
			 2005-06 3,346,100 360,000 1,402,600 2,100 
			 2006-07 3,220,000 357,000 1,505,300 46,600 
			 2007-08 2,995,000 224,900 1,490,500 61,900 
			 2008-09 (1)- 505,600 (1)- 110,600 
			 (1) Not recorded. 
		
	
	Since 2002 The Royal Parks has purchased energy generated from 100 per cent. renewable sources. Information relating to years prior to 2002 is not available.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many designs for its website his Department has commissioned since 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department commissioned one redesign of its website in 2005. We are currently redesigning the website home page.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which companies were contracted by his Department for the provision of temporary staff in each of the last three years; how many temporary staff were employed by his Department in each such year; and what the monetary value was of contracts with each such company in each such year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Supplier 
			  (£) 
			   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07 
			 Adecco UK Ltd. 96,969.99 217,233.72 453,499.54 
			 Poolia UK Ltd. 109,206.97 106,107.84 47,714.39 
			 Josephine Sammons 35,258.31 50,420.96 99,876.23 
			 Venn Group 0.00 0.00 44,907.83 
			 Morgan Law 161,065.94 50,290.00 36,895.00 
			 Marks Sattin 0.00 7,226.25 26,709.54 
			 Reed Personnel Services 0.00 0.00 38,826.75 
			 TFPL Ltd. 40,670.04 6,319.60 0.00 
			 Robert Walters Operations Ltd. 0.00 0.00 32,890.27 
			 Goodman Masson Recruitment Services 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 Hays Office Support 76,648.69 13,824.64 0.00 
			 Brook Street 283,321.95 52,591.39 0.00 
			 Taylor Bennett 18,800.00 19,352.25 0.00 
			 Odgers, Ray and Berndtson 54,991.18 238,210.59 149,048.92 
			 Capita Resourcing 34,368.75 12,337.50 32,431.88 
			 Whithead Mann Ltd. 0.00 0.00 164,368.02 
			 Total 911,301.82 773,914.74 1,127,168.37 
		
	
	
		
			   2008-09  2007-08  2006-07 
			 Average number of temporary staff employed 31 21 22

Holiday Accommodation

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the compliance with European Commission state aid rules of his Department's policy on the participation in marketing initiatives promoted by  (a) Visit England and  (b) Visit Britain by operators of holiday homes who do not participate in the National Quality Assurance scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: My Department has been involved in discussions with the European Commission in relation to the specific matters raised by the hon. Member. These discussions have not been concluded and it would be inappropriate to comment on them at this time.
	The Department's objective is to ensure that the activities of VisitBritain and VisitEngland are compatible with the rules relating to state aid.

Theatre: Young People

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many free theatre tickets have been provided to under-26 year olds by the Arts Council since February 2009.

Margaret Hodge: Between February 2009 and November 2009, 121,742 tickets were taken up by young people under the 'A Night Less Ordinary' scheme. Over 20,000 of these tickets have been given away by organisations based in the West Midlands.
	Results from 1 December 2009 to 28 February 2010 will be made available in April.

Theatre: Young People

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Arts Councils England's A Night Less Ordinary scheme in achieving its objectives.

Margaret Hodge: An independent evaluation project is running alongside the two year 'A Night Less Ordinary' scheme.
	The evaluation will identify, record and measure the effectiveness of the scheme in achieving its objectives at a national and local level.
	'A Night Less Ordinary' is a pathfinder programme and the report will help inform the future direction of the programme. We also expect the report to be a useful audience development tool for the entire theatre sector. Evaluation reports will be published in due course.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what average time her Office took to answer questions for  (a) ordinary written answer and  (b) written answer on a named day in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: Information on the average time taken to answer parliamentary questions is not readily available in the format requested and could be only provided at disproportionate cost. However in my role as Minister for the Olympics, during 2009, I answered 28 per cent. of ordinary written and 45 per cent. of named day questions on time. These figures are unacceptable and were due to failings in departmental processes. Work has been done to mitigate these failings, and future figures should reflect this.
	Further to this, with effect from the current Session of Parliament, each department will provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics on the time taken to answer written questions. This implements recommendation 24 of the 3rd report from the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Jim Cousins: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to encourage construction workers from the North East to work on construction sites for the London 2012 Olympics; and how many such workers there are.

Tessa Jowell: At the end of December 2009, 41 per cent. of the Olympic park workforce were from parts of the UK outside of London. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) does not measure the number of workers from each region. People from the North East can access employment opportunities through the national Jobcentre Plus network and businesses from the North East that have won Olympic-related contracts are providing further economic benefits for the region.
	In addition to those working on the Park, the ODA has 17 direct suppliers registered in the North East, including the designer of the Broxbourne White Water Canoe Centre for Games and legacy from Newcastle upon Tyne. More businesses are securing work further down the supply chain, such as the Durham-based company providing roof cladding for the aquatics centre and the company from Wallsend who are supplying and operating jack machines for bridges and highways projects. More information on businesses that have won Games-related contracts can be found at the business section of the London 2012 website:
	www.london2012.com/business
	The ODA and its partners have put a range of measures in place to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the Olympic park, which includes 48-hours exclusive access to vacancies.

Olympic Games 2012: Recruitment

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will ensure that notification of job vacancies arising from the London 2012 Olympics is made through Jobcentre Plus before such vacancies are advertised elsewhere.

Tessa Jowell: Vacancies on the Olympic park can be accessed across the UK through the national Jobcentre Plus network. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and its partners have put in place a range of measures to help local people in particular access training and employment opportunities on the site.
	Vacancies are offered exclusively to each of the five host borough employment brokerages and Jobcentre Plus offices in the area for a period of 48-hours, to give local people the best possible chance of accessing vacancies on the site. Vacancies unfilled after this time are then made available across London through Relay London Jobs and Jobcentre Plus for a further 24-hours, before being made available nationally through the Jobcentre Plus network. At the end of December 2009, 20 per cent. of the Olympic park workforce were from the five Olympic host boroughs, 33 per cent. from other London boroughs and 41 per cent. from the UK outside of London. 11 per cent. of the workforce were previously unemployed.
	In addition to direct employment opportunities on the park, companies are winning contracts both directly with the ODA and in the supply chains of its contractors, helping to spread the economic benefits of the games across the UK. In the North West alone, 44 businesses are directly supplying the ODA and many more are winning work further down the supply chain, such as the Horwich-based company providing steelworks for the Stadium and the Merseyside company supplying roof cladding for the Aquatics Centre.
	More information on businesses that have won games-related contracts can be found at the business section of the London 2012 website at:
	www.london2012.com/business

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children: Maintenance

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases under consideration by the Child Support Agency involve absent parents in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Perth and North Perthshire constituency.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 24 February 2010:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases under consideration by the Child Support Agency involve absent parents in (a) Scotland and (b) Perth and North Perthshire constituency.
	I have interpreted 'under consideration' as cases where an application has been made but which has yet to be cleared.
	The Child Support Agency's performance has continued to show improvement over the last quarter, building on the stable base provided by successful completion of the Operational Improvement Plan in March 2009.
	As at December 2009, the number of uncleared cases in Scotland was 2,120, which represents a 20% decrease from 2,650 in September 2009. In Perth and North Perthshire Parliamentary constituency the volume of uncleared cases fell from 55 in September 2009 to 45 in December 2009. These figures include both old and current scheme applications and those cases administered clerically.
	Nationally, uncleared applications fell to 28,900 in December 2009, which is a 6,300 (18%) reduction from September 2009.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental ICT

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of her Department's information technology projects have been outsourced in the last three years; and what the monetary value was of each contract let in respect of such projects.

Jim Knight: The provision of IT services to the Department for Work and Pensions in support of business change has been outsourced to private sector suppliers since it was created in 2001. There has been no further outsourcing in the last three years.

Departmental Surveys

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether her Department has conducted any staff satisfaction surveys in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP has conducted two such surveys in the last 12 months: in March 2009 and as part of the Civil Service People Survey in October 2009.

Employment Schemes: Financial Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether her Department operates programmes to assist workers made redundant from the financial services sector to find employment;
	(2)  how much her Department has spent on measures to fund employment for workers previously employed in the financial services sector in the last 12 months; and what steps it has taken to that end.

Jim Knight: The Government are taking decisive steps to tackle the effects of the recession, reduce unemployment and is committed to helping every unemployed person return to work.
	While we do not operate programmes specifically aimed at supporting redundant workers from the financial services sector, we have made available up to £5 billion, since November 2008, to offer a substantial package of new back to work support to all jobseekers, irrespective of their background, throughout their time on jobseeker's allowance.
	We have quadrupled funding to the Rapid Response Service which provides support to employees under threat of redundancy, helping them to find new employment quickly.
	We have also significantly increased the funding to maintain and increase the existing support that is available to newly unemployed claimants through Jobcentre Plus and its external partners. As well as help with jobsearch, skills and access to basic skills training, newly unemployed people now have day one access to Local Employment Partnership vacancies, help to meet the expenses involved in finding work and, for some, access to Work Trials.
	In April 2009, we strengthened this support by introducing group jobsearch sessions specifically targeted at newly unemployed people, as well as specialist back to work support for newly unemployed professionals and executives, delivered through recruitment agencies. We built on this in the recent White Paper "Building Britain's Recovery: Achieving Full Employment", and from spring 2010, we will be strengthening the support offered to professional customers by offering further access to a follow-up session with these agencies to maintain the momentum of their journey back to work.
	Further back to work support is available to all jobseekers throughout their claim and the longer somebody is on jobseeker's allowance, the more support they can get. This currently includes access to recruitment subsidies, self-employment support, work focused training and volunteering at six months and more intensive personalised support from external providers later in a claim.
	There is also a substantial package of support available to 18 to 24-year-olds to help them get back to work which includes a guarantee of a job, work focused training or work experiences at the six month stage in a claim.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of each local authority area in the North West aged between 16 and 24 years old have taken up  (a) graduate internship,  (b) a non-graduate internship,  (c) work and  (d) training since the Young Person's Guarantee came into effect; and how many are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance under that Guarantee.

Jim Knight: Information on graduate internships, non-graduate internships, work, and training through the Young Person's Guarantee, is not currently available, but will be made available from spring 2010 through a statistical release that is planned to cover the whole of the Young Person's Guarantee. This is normal practice for the Department's employment programmes and it allows time for the information to be collected, understood, verified and reported.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bids for Future Jobs Fund funding have been accepted in each parliamentary constituency; and how many jobs are expected to be created under bids in each such constituency.

Jim Knight: The information requested has not been recorded by parliamentary constituency and therefore cannot be provided.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people are participating in Future Jobs Fund jobs; and how many Future Jobs Fund job vacancies there are.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not currently available. Information on numbers of young people participating in Future Jobs Fund jobs will be made available in future through a statistical release covering the whole of the Young Person's Guarantee. The first publication will be available in the spring, and quarterly thereafter.

Jobcentre Plus: Racism

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints of racism have been made by Jobcentre Plus staff against other Jobcentre Plus staff in each of the last five years, broken down by the smallest geographical area for which information is available; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh, dated 24 February 2010:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many complaints of racism have been made by Jobcentre Plus staff against other Jobcentre Plus staff in each of the last five years, broken down by smallest geographical area for which information is available. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Department does not maintain any automated data to capture the volumes of formal complaints from current or former staff relating to race discrimination. Although Jobcentre Plus retains clerical information on official written complaints from existing or former members of staff; this data does not identify where complaints relate specifically to any allegations of racism.
	Although formal investigations into allegations of harassment, bullying and discrimination are handled through our Department for Work and Pensions Human Resources Investigation Service, some complaints may be addressed separately through local management investigations and there is no available data to provide the requested information in full.
	I am, therefore, unable to provide a more detailed reply.

Mining: Industrial Diseases

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former miners have  (a) applied for and  (b) been granted industrial injuries benefit for miners' knee in the North East region to date.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The current national position is that since the addition of osteoarthritis of the knee to the list of prescribed industrial diseases on 13 July 2009, 32,820 claims have been received nationally of which 7,713 have received an award of, or an increase of industrial injuries disablement benefit.
	This information is based on an ongoing informal count by the Jobcentre Plus offices dealing with industrial injuries disablement benefit. We are looking into arrangements to publish this information as official statistics.

Mining: Industrial Diseases

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the number of miners and former miners who experience chronic back and neck pain as a result of their working conditions.

Helen Goodman: It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate because the Labour Force Survey contains insufficient cases of miners, or former miners, who have self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what rate of interest her Department used in calculations of entitlements and payments under the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme in each of the last 12 months.

Helen Goodman: The standard interest rate used to calculate Support for Mortgage Interest was 6.08 per cent. in each of the last 12 months.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme funding recipients reached the maximum two-year period permitted for claiming in each of the last eight quarters.

Helen Goodman: The two-year period limit for jobseekers claiming Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) was introduced in January 2009. It applies only to customers receiving jobseeker's allowance.
	No SMI customer has been affected by the introduction of this two-year limit because it is less than two years since it was introduced. The earliest date that a jobseeker could be affected by the two year limit is 5 January 2011 assuming continuous receipt of jobseeker's allowance including SMI throughout the two year period.

New Deal Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many flexible New Deal phase 1 suppliers were fully operational on 6 October 2009.

Jim Knight: Fourteen supplier organisations were contracted to start delivering flexible new deal from October 2009. Twelve of the 14 started delivery from 5 October, meaning there was a supplier operating in every contract package area from that date. By 20 October all 14 suppliers were fully operational in all phase one contract package areas covering 28 Jobcentre Plus districts.

New Deal Schemes: Feltham

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women resident in Feltham and Heston have participated in the New Deal for  (a) Lone Parents and  (b) Partners since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: The available information can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of woman participants in the New Deal in Feltham and Heston parliamentary constituency: Time Series to August 2009 - Starters (Spells) 
			   New Deal for Lone Parents  New Deal for Partners 
			  Feltham and Heston   
			 1997 (1)- n/a 
			 1998 40 n/a 
			 1999 210 n/a 
			 2000 230 n/a 
			 2001 290 n/a 
			 2002 330 n/a 
			 2003 340 n/a 
			 2004 330 10 
			 2005 310 20 
			 2006 370 10 
			 2007 580 (1)- 
			 2008 610 10 
			 2009 230 (1)- 
			 n/a = Not applicable. (1) Nil or negligible.  Notes 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 2. The latest New Deal figures will be affected by the introduction of the new Jobseeker's Regime and Flexible New Deal (gradual implementation started from April 2009). 3. Westminster parliamentary constituency (post May 2005) is allocated using the ONS Postcode Directory and customer's postcode. 4. The New Deal for Lone Parents was introduced in October 1998. 5. Data for New Deal for Partners is available from April 2004. 6. Latest Data is to August 2009. 7. Spells are not available for New Deal for Partners so individual level data is used instead. Spells are used for New Deal for Lone Parents. Source Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate. 
		
	
	Over 2.2 million people have been helped into work through the New Deals, and we are building on the success of this programme to create the Flexible New Deal. This programme will better meet the employment and skills needs of those who have been on Jobseeker's Allowance for a long time or who have struggled to find a stable pattern of work.

Pension Credit: Kingston

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in  (a) the Royal borough of Kingston and  (b) Kingston and Surbiton constituency have been in receipt of pension credit in each of the last three years.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following tables:
	
		
			  Recipients of pension credit in Kingston upon Thames, local authority 
			  As at August each year  Household recipients  Individual beneficiaries 
			 2009 4,090 4,780 
			 2008 3,990 4,660 
			 2007 4,020 4,710 
		
	
	
		
			  Recipients of pension credit in Kingston and Surbiton parliamentary constituency 
			  As at August each year  Household recipients  Individual beneficiaries 
			 2009 3,180 3,710 
			 2008 3,090 3,600 
			 2007 3,140 3,670 
			  Notes: 1. Numbers rounded to the nearest ten. 2. Pension credit is claimed on a household basis-household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a partner. Beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are also claiming. 3. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 4. On April 1 2009 structural changes to the local authorities of England took effect. Changes are reflected from May 2009 in the Tabulation Tool.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Pensioners: Per Capita Costs

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department has spent on pensioners per capita in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: Complete information is not available. Such information as is available is in the tables.
	
		
			  Pensioner spending per capita (£, cash) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Jarrow 5,060 5,480 5,870 6,190 6,290 6,630 6,910 
			 South Tyneside 5,080 5,530 5,890 6,210 6,330 6,660 7,010 
			 North East 4,960 5,350 5,700 6,000 6,110 6,430 6,770 
			 Great Britain 4,680 5,020 5,320 5,610 5,700 6,000 6,320 
		
	
	
		
			  Pensioner spending per capita (£, 2 009- 10 prices) 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Jarrow 6,030 6,360 6,620 6,850 6,770 6,930 7,050 
			 South Tyneside 6,060 6,410 6,650 6,880 6,810 6,970 7,150 
			 North East 5,910 6,200 6,430 6,650 6,570 6,720 6,910 
			 Great Britain 5,580 5,820 6,010 6,220 6,140 6,280 6,450 
			  Notes: 1. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for expenditure in Great Britain only. Expenditure in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office. 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10. 3. Figures include spending on: state pension; attendance allowance; winter fuel payment; bereavement benefits; widow's benefit; minimum income guarantee; pension credit, over-65s payment and over-70s payment. figures for other benefits, and for these benefits before 2002-03, are not available. 4. Figures are estimated by dividing expenditure on the above benefits by the number of state pensioners in the relevant area. 5. Great Britain benefit expenditure data for all benefits, and local authority and parliamentary constituency benefit expenditure data for some benefits, can be found here: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp 6. The DWP Tabulation Tool, which gives caseload and expenditure data for some benefits split by local authority, parliamentary constituency and government office region, among others, can be found here: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of pensioners receive earnings-related state pensions under  (a) the state earnings-related pension scheme only,  (b) the state second pension scheme only and  (c) both schemes.

Angela Eagle: The information is in the table
	
		
			  Pensioners in receipt of additional state pension (Great Britain, March 2009) 
			   State earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS) only  State second pension (S2P) only  Both SERPS and S2P 
			 Number of pensioners in receipt 6,491,000 144,900 1,838,000 
			 
			 Percentage of total number of recipients of any state pension 59 1 17 
			  Notes: 1. Figures shown are for March 2009. 2. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100 pensioners. Percentages are rounded to the nearest percent. Note the denominator used in the percentages is total state pension caseload in Great Britain, rather than total population in Great Britain at or above state pension age. 3. The state second pension (S2P) scheme reformed the state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS) from April 2002. Only people reaching state pension age from April 2003 onwards can have built up some entitlement to S2P. 4. Pensioners in receipt of additional pension under the S2P scheme but not under SERPS were either credited into S2P through caring or disability, or are receiving an S2P top-up on account of contracted-out employment.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, administrative data 5 per cent. sample

Post Office Card Account

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost to her Department is per transaction of Post Office Card Account transactions under  (a) the new Post Office Card Account due to be introduced in 2010 and  (b) each other benefit transaction method.

Helen Goodman: The new Post Office card account contract began on 1 October 2009 and the current average cost to the Department for each payment made into a POca is around 50p.
	Other payment method costs are: 1p per payment into a bank or other account; £2.00 per cheque; and 55p per payable order.
	The costs are made up of contract costs and where appropriate, other costs such as postage, stationery and administration.

Social Security Benefits: Students

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the average annual cost of implementing amended deemed income rules to provide for income from student loans to be disregarded in respect of the entitlement to benefits of those students who suspend their studies because of serious ill health;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of students who would be affected by the amendment of the deemed income rules to provide for income from student loans to be disregarded in respect of the eligibility for benefits of those students who suspend their studies because of serious ill health.

Helen Goodman: We are looking with colleagues in other Departments at the position for students who suspend their studies because of serious ill health and who, as a result, have not drawn down their student loan. I will also explore with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, education providers and students' representative bodies, whether we can strengthen the awareness and transparency of the current arrangements.
	Information on the number of students that might be affected by such a change to the deeming rules for those who abandon their course is not available as it would depend on the detailed conditions that were set.

Unemployment Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if she will publish each version of the sanctions regime applicable to  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) incapacity benefit,  (c) employment and support allowance and  (d) income support which has been in effect for any period since 1997;
	(2)  what assessments her Department has made of the effectiveness of alternative sanctions regimes; and if she will publish the reports of those assessments;
	(3)  what changes she plans to make to the Jobcentre Plus sanctions regime;
	(4)  if she will publish each evaluation her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Jobcentre Plus sanctions regime.

Jim Knight: Benefit sanctions are aimed at establishing a framework of rights and responsibilities with benefit customers, and encourage positive outcomes by obliging customers in receipt of working age benefits to engage with the support on offer and help them move into employment.
	Benefit sanctions have been an integral part of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) since it was introduced and the detail is set out in the Jobseeker's Allowance Regulations 1996.
	Since April 2000 the sanction regulations for Incapacity Benefit customers have been set out in various Work Focused Interviews (WFI) regulations: The Social Security (Work-focused Interviews) Regulations 2000 No. 897; The Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001 No. 3210; The Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2002 No. 1703; The Social Security (Incapacity Benefit Work-focused Interviews) Regulations 2003 No. 2439; and The Social Security (Incapacity Benefit Work-focused Interviews) Regulations 2008 No. 2928, Regulation 9.
	The sanctions regime for Employment and Support Allowance customers is set out in The Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 No. 794, Regulation 63.
	The Income Support sanction regime was introduced through the Social Security (Work-focused Interviews for Lone Parents) and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2000; The Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001; and the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus) Regulations 2002 respectively. Copies of all of this legislation are available in the Library.
	The Department continually reviews the effectiveness of conditionality and the associated sanctions regimes across all working age benefits and undertakes research on their effectiveness in supporting customers to move into employment. Published reports on the operation of sanctions are listed on the Department for Work and Pensions website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp
	and are available in the House Library.
	The 2008 White Paper 'Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future' (CM7 506), set out the Government's intention to test a model of escalating sanctions based on the principles set out in the 2008 independent review of conditionality 'Realising Potential: A vision for personalised conditionality and support' by Professor Paul Gregg. The model introduces five stages of sanctions, initially in Progression to Work pathfinder areas, which will allow for more attempts at contact and in depth case reviews with lone parents and partners of certain benefit recipients, and a number of stages before a financial sanction is considered.
	Furthermore, the Welfare Reform Act 2009 introduced two new sanctions to the Jobseeker's Allowance. The first is the power to sanction a customer who commits acts of violence or threatening behaviour against Jobcentre Plus staff during the course of a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance. The second is a sanction for Jobseeker's Allowance customers who fail to attend their mandatory appointments as part of the requirements of receiving Jobseeker's Allowance, this change will be implemented from April 2010.
	The Welfare Reform Act 2009 also introduced the power to sanction lone parents on Income Support and partners of certain benefit recipients, with younger children, for not undertaking agreed work related activity. The first stage of implementation for these measures will be in October 2010 in the Progression to Work pathfinder Jobcentre Plus districts.
	As part of the ongoing review of support for Jobcentre Plus customers with disabilities and health conditions, we are reviewing the current sanctions regime for Employment and Support Allowance customers and we will publish details about any proposed changes in spring 2010.

Unemployment Benefits: Appeals

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department has spent on contesting employment support allowance appeals in  (a) the UK and  (b) Scotland since 27 October 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.

Unemployment Benefits: Cancer

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many terminally ill cancer patients  (a) in total and  (b) normally resident in Scotland have been required by her Department to (i) undergo a medical examination and (ii) attend a work-focused interview since 27 October 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available.

Unemployment Benefits: Glasgow East

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals are in receipt of  (a) attendance allowance,  (b) incapacity benefit and  (c) jobseeker's allowance in Glasgow East constituency; and what the average weekly payment was in respect of each such benefit in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table.
	Attendance allowance, incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance and jobseeker's allowance claimants in Glasgow East parliamentary constituency: May 2009
	
		
			   Caseload  Average weekly amount (£) 
			 Attendance Allowance 3,380 61.34 
			 Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance 8,920 53.75 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance 3,510 57.83 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and average amounts to the nearest penny. 2. Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance figures do not include employment and support allowance. 3. Attendance allowance totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example, if they are in hospital. 4. Data is published on the Department for Work and Pensions' website at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Unemployment Benefits: Medical Examinations

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints  (a) in total and  (b) from residents of Scotland regarding fitness to work assessments her Department has received since 27 October 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on the number of complaints received by the Department specifically about the work capability assessment element of employment and support allowance is not available.

Vocational Training: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her latest assessment is of the adequacy of skills training on offer to claimants of Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance; and for what reason claimants of Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance are not able to access Train to Gain if they have more than four GCSE's or NVQ Level 2.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is the role of Jobcentre Plus to work with all customers and help them overcome any barrier to getting into work. where this involves meeting a skills need, a customer, including one in receipt of either incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance, can be referred to a range of training provision provided by either Jobcentre Plus or the Learning and Skills Council.
	There is a wide range of training provision on offer throughout the country for all customers, including those in receipt of incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance. Customer training needs are assessed on an individual basis and customers are then referred to provision that not only meet their needs but also the needs of local employers. The adequacy of skills training is therefore not assessed on a national basis but is driven by the local labour market and an assessment of the individual's needs.
	The primary national return to work programme for people claiming incapacity benefits or employment and support allowance is Pathways to Work. In Pathways to Work areas, private and voluntary sector providers are contracted to tailor provision to meet the needs of the customer. It is their responsibility to ensure that any training is adequate and appropriate.
	Last October we announced a review of Pathways to Work. The White Paper, 'Building Britain's Recovery: Achieving Full Employment', published in December, set out our underpinning principles for reform and confirms that we will bring forward proposals in the spring.
	Train to Gain is not routinely offered to those on benefits. It is a programme aimed specifically at employers, giving them better access to a range of training opportunities for improving the skills of their employees and the productivity of their business.
	Over the last few years, to boost demand and respond to the downturn the Government introduced a number of temporary funding flexibilities for qualifications delivered as part of Train to Gain. Until August 2010, this includes providing full funding in respect of full level 2 qualifications (5 A*-C GCSEs or the vocational equivalent) where the employee already holds a qualification at that level.
	The National Skills Strategy Skills for Growth (November 2009), set out the Government's intention to focus their substantial investment through Train to Gain on areas of high growth and ensure a greater level of co-funding by employers. The emphasis will therefore be on fully supporting employers to up skill their employees, with employers contributing the costs where their staff need to reskill.

Winter Fuel Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether her Department has made an estimate of the cost in real terms of extending the winter fuel payment to people  (a) receiving the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance and  (b) receiving the higher rate care component of disability living allowance because they are terminally ill, who otherwise would not be entitled to it, in each of the next six years; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will estimate the cost to the public purse in real terms of paying winter fuel allowance in respect of all children aged under five years old in receipt of the higher care component of disability living allowance in each of the next five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: It is not possible to identify these costs as it is not possible to identify disability living allowance customers who would not be entitled to a winter fuel payment because they are living in households that already receive a winter fuel payment.
	Disability living allowance is specifically designed to help meet the extra costs of disability, including heating.

Winter Fuel Payments: Rotherham

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid out in winter fuel payments to eligible households in Rotherham in winter 2009-10.

Angela Eagle: For winter 2008-09 (the last winter for which information is available) we spent £3.4 million on Winter Fuel Payments in Rotherham.
	 Notes:
	1. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.

Winter Fuel Payments: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of householders in Stroud constituency who will receive  (a) £250 and  (b) £400 winter fuel payment in 2009-10.

Angela Eagle: Information on the number of households in Stroud which received winter fuel payments for winter 2008-09 (the last year for which information is available) is in the House of Commons Library.

Winter Fuel Payments: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Stroud constituency are in receipt of winter fuel allowance; and how much her Department paid to such pensioners in winter fuel allowances in 2009.

Angela Eagle: In winter 2008-09 (the last winter for which information is available) 25,540 people in Stroud received a winter fuel payment, at a cost of £5.4 million.
	 Notes:
	1. Payment figures are rounded to the nearest ten
	2. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.

JUSTICE

Drugs: Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 618W, on drugs: Sussex, how many people were found guilty of offences of drug  (a) possession and  (b) dealing in (i) Sussex and (ii) Lewes constituency in 2008.

Claire Ward: The number of persons found guilty at all courts in the Sussex police force area for offences of possession, and supplying or offering to supply, a controlled drug in 2008 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	Data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	Data for 2009 are planned for publication in the autumn, 2010.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts in the Sussex police force area for offences of possession, and supplying or offering to supply, a controlled drug, 2008( 1, 2) 
			  Offence description  2008 
			 Having possession of a controlled drug 752 
			 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply 165 
			 Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug 107 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Family Conciliation Services

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received from agencies involved in child contact cases of the effects on children of compulsory mediation in such cases; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made the total savings to the public purse likely to accrue from the implementation of compulsory mediation as an alternative to court action in child contact cases.

Bridget Prentice: I have not received any representations regarding the effects on children of compulsory mediation in child contact cases. Family mediation in England and Wales is voluntary and I have not made any estimate of savings from the implementation of compulsory mediation.
	On 20 January 2010, the Green Paper, Support For All: The Families and Relationships Green Paper, was published. Family mediation forms part of the consultation process as the Government are seeking views about whether mediation assessment (not mediation in its entirety) should be made compulsory for parents who go to court to seek to resolve residence or contact disputes, where it is safe to do so.
	At the same time, the Government announced a comprehensive review of the family justice system, which will report jointly to the Secretaries of State for Justice and Children, Schools and Families and the Welsh Assembly Government. The principle that 'the interests of the child should be paramount' will be at the heart of this review. The review will focus on the management and leadership of the family justice system and what can be done to promote informed settlement and agreement of family law cases outside of the court system. It will seek to learn from the experience of other jurisdictions and from research and will be supported by the appointment of an expert, external advisory group. The review will report in 2011.

Family Conciliation Services

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many cases involving a child contact decision a court has granted contact against the wishes of the child subject to that decision in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Her Majesty's Courts Service does not record any information centrally on the whether a court granted contact against the wishes of the child. Information on the wishes of the child could be obtained by inspection of individual case files only at disproportionate cost.
	HMCS does record the total number of contact orders made. Table 1 shows the number of public and private law section 8 contact orders made in all tiers of court between the years of 2004 and 2008. 2008 is the latest full calendar year for which data are published. Statistics on contact orders made are published by the Ministry of Justice in the annual command paper "Judicial and Court Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library of the House and on the Ministry's website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/judicialandcourtstatistics.htm
	
		
			 Table 1: Section 8 public and private law contact orders made in all tiers of court between 2004 and 2008 
			   Public  Private  Total 
			 2008 2,568 76,759 79,327 
			 2007 2,471 69,713 72,184 
			 2006 1,848 62,672 64,520 
			 2005 1,562 60,294 61,856 
			 2004 2,045 70,169 72,214 
			  Notes: 1. Figures presented are for England and Wales only. 2. Figures relate to the number of children subject to each application. 3. All tiers of court are represented in the answer; specifically the Family Proceedings Court, county court and High Court. 4. There are known data quality problems with the figures for the Family Proceedings Courts. A new data collection method, introduced in April 2007, has made some improvements to the completeness of the data. 5. Section 8 is the part of the Children Act 1989 that refers to contact orders, residence orders, prohibited steps orders and specific issue orders. 6. Public Law refers to Children Act 1989 cases where there are child welfare issues and a local authority, or an authorised person, is stepping in to protect the child and ensure they get the care they need.  7. Private Law refers to Children Act 1989 cases where two or more parties are trying to resolve a private dispute. This is commonly where parents have split up and there is a disagreement about contact with, or residence of, their children.  8. Due to changes in methodology and data collection methods over time, comparisons between years should be avoided.  Source: Judicial and Court Statistics

National Offender Management Service: Manpower

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the human resources department of the National Offender Management Service is taking to redress the imbalance in the terms and conditions of staff in the prison and probation services.

Maria Eagle: The prison and probation services operate within the framework of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Agency. For historical reasons the two services have different employment structures. Prison service staff are civil servants and are directly employed by the NOMS Agency. Probation service staff are not civil servants and are employed by a probation board or trust. It is recognised that there is a difference in the operational need of both Services. This is reflected in their terms and conditions and different operational structures. Terms and conditions are kept under review in developing pay modernisation strategies for both services.

Paedophilia

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convicted paedophiles there were in bail hostels in each of the last five years; and what his most recent estimate is of the number of convicted paedophiles in bail hostels.

Maria Eagle: The number of child sex offenders accommodated in approved premises (formerly known as probation and bail hostels) in England and Wales will vary from time to time. Statistical information about the offending history of offenders residing in approved premises at any one time is not collected centrally, although offenders' assessed level of risk of harm at the point of admission is.
	Approved premises provide for enhanced and effective supervision of certain offenders. This would be much more difficult to achieve if such offenders were dispersed into less suitable accommodation in the community.

Prison Sentences

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) UK,  (b) Irish and  (c) other EEA nationals are serving a sentence of (i) mandatory life imprisonment, (ii) discretionary life imprisonment and (iii) imprisonment for public protection.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the numbers of British, Irish and other EEA nationals serving mandatory life sentences, other life sentences (including discretionary life imprisonment) and indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) in prison establishments in England and Wales as at 30 June 2009. These are the latest available data.
	
		
			   British nationals  Irish nationals  Other EEA nationals 
			 Mandatory lifers 4,381 55 67 
			 Other lifers 2,263 24 12 
			 IPPs 4,882 38 63 
		
	
	The figures on mandatory and other lifers have been drawn from the prison IT system. The IPP figures were taken from the Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD) in the National Offender Management Service. The PPUD is a live database, updated on a regular basis. Data taken from the database on consecutive days will contain differences reflecting updates.
	Both the prison IT system and the PPUD are administrative systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoner Escapes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many abscondees from each prison were foreign nationals in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Figures on the number of foreign national prisoners who have absconded from each prison since 1997 is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by accessing the individual record of each absconder.
	A prisoner absconds if he or she absents themselves from prison without overcoming a physical security barrier such as that provided by fences, locks, bolts and bars, a secure vehicle or handcuffs. The rate of abscond from open prisons continues to fall and absconds are now at their lowest level since centralised reporting of this type of incident began in 1995
	Foreign nationals, including those subject to enforcement proceedings under the Immigration Act, must be risk assessed for open conditions in the same way as all other prisoners but with the additional requirement that UK Border Agency is asked to contribute any information which might indicate an increased risk of abscond.

Prisoners

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has implemented programmes for the purposes of de-radicalising prisoners who are serving sentences for terrorism offences.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is taking forward a wide-ranging programme of work to manage the risks of violent extremism and radicalisation among offenders. Part of this programme includes work to research, develop and evaluate potential intervention approaches.
	Given the comparatively low numbers of terrorist offenders and the different motivations and behaviours they present in relation to their offending, it is difficult to identify with statistical significance and reliability factors associated with terrorist offending or reoffending. Therefore prison and probation staff need to use all available sources of evidence to assess the risk of serious harm or reconviction which terrorist offenders pose, and to identify appropriate intervention strategies.
	For any intervention to be effective it will need to target the reasons why people offend which are different for each individual. There are currently no group work programmes specifically accredited for use with those convicted of offences related to terrorism. NOMS is working to understand the potential use of a wide range of intervention strategies which may help combat violent extremist offending and address the criminogenic factors of the individual violent extremist offender.

Prisoners' Discharge Grants

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on subsistence payments to offenders on end of custody licence in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Jack Straw: The available information on the subsistence payments to offenders on end of custody licence in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10 is as follows:
	
		
			   1 July to 31 March 2007-08  2008-09  1 April to 30 September 2009-10 
			 Paid by DWP on behalf of the National Offender Management Service 859,199.74 2,270,140.29 1,363,313.05 
			 Paid direct by prison establishments 2,405,446.00 74,292.17 
		
	
	Prisoners released on End of Custody Licence, ECL, are paid subsistence in place of benefits. This subsistence payment is necessary to ensure that during their period of ECL they are able to purchase food and meet essential living expenses. Sentenced prisoners known to have over £500 in personal funds do not receive any subsistence payments.
	When the ECL scheme was first introduced, offenders released for the maximum of 18 days received their subsistence payments in instalments through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), who make payments on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. Prisoners released for less than 18 days were paid in full by prisons on release. From 23 June 2008, payment in instalments by DWP was extended to prisoners spending 15 days or more on ECL. From 15 December 2008, payment in instalments by DWP was further extended to offenders spending eight days or more on ECL. The advantage of the system of payments through DWP is that prisoners receive their subsistence in instalments rather than in a single lump sum.
	It is not possible to break down the amount paid directly by prison establishments between 2007-08 and 2008-09. The available information has been collected manually from all prison establishments and may be subject to a margin of error. In addition, figures for payments by prisons in January-March 2009 cannot be identified and an estimated element has been included for these.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010,  Official Report, column 792W, on prisons: release, how many of the 12 serving ex-prisoners who have not been back into the criminal justice system since their release in error have committed further offences; what the original offence was for which each was convicted; and what proportion of the original sentence each had served at the date of release.

Maria Eagle: Only one of the 12 offenders listed as follows is shown on the police national computer as having committed a further offence (theft/fraud) or is wanted for anything other than the release in error.
	Prisoner discharge can be a complex area and the following table and associated notes reflect this complexity. Despite this the number of releases in error is small, accounting for fewer than 0.05 per cent. of discharges from prison.
	The following table shows the details of the 12 offenders who had not been accounted for at the time of my answer of 11 January 2010. Since then, four of these 12 offenders have been returned to custody or have appeared in court and resolved the outstanding issue.
	
		
			  Individual offenders released in error according to offence and proportion of sentence served at time of release 
			  Offence  Proportion of sentence served (percentage) 
			 Drug Production (1)100 
			 Other Motoring (1)100 
			 Breach of Bail (2)100 
			 Wounding 41 
			 Fine Default 50 
			 Fine Default 50 
			 Burglary (3)n/a 
			 Breach Community Service Order n/a 
			 Fine Default (4)100 
			 Wounding (4)98 
			 Common Assault (4)100 
			 Theft (4, 5, 6)n/a 
			 (1) Served all of sentence but released in error because offenders were due to be interviewed by another law enforcement agency. (2) Served all of sentence but released in error because offender was due to appear in court on further charges. (3) Sentence length not applicable-remand prisoner released in error prior to trial. (4) Four offenders have since appeared in court or been returned to custody to resolve the outstanding error. (5) Served all of current sentence but released in error because he had, prior to the current sentence, served a previous period in prison. He had been released on licence to serve the remainder of that earlier sentence in the community. While he was serving his second sentence it had been decided that he should serve some or all of the remaining period of the earlier sentence in prison. He was released in error before that could happen. The additional period he could have served would have been subject to the view of the Parole Board. That period could have been up to a maximum of a further one year and one day. (6) Committed further offence of theft/fraud since release in error but is now back in custody. 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Prisons: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in what locations his Department intends to provide the 3,500 further prison places announced for 2010; how many will be  (a) part of new-build prisons,  (b) additions to existing prisons and  (c) refurbished disused cells in existing prisons; and how many will have been brought on stream at the end of each month in 2010.

Maria Eagle: In total, over 3,600 places are currently planned for delivery in 2010 as part of the Core Capacity Programme. Over 500 of these places have been provided through the more efficient use of cellular accommodation. The following table shows the locations of the new places to be provided in new prisons, expansions on existing sites and through cell reclaim schemes:
	
		
			   Location  Places  Accommodation type 
			 Littlehey(1) Cambridgeshire 480 New build 
			 Swaleside(1) Kent 176 Expansion 
			 Wymott(1) Lancashire 16 Cell reclaim 
			 Lowdham Grange Nottinghamshire 260 Expansion 
			 Exeter Devon 8 Cell reclaim 
			 Holme House Cleveland 180 Expansion 
			 Nottingham Nottinghamshire 344 Expansion 
			 Birmingham West Midlands 10 Cell reclaim 
			 Bure Norfolk 264 Conversion(2) 
			 Hollesley Bay Suffolk 20 Cell reclaim 
			 Elmley Kent 190 Expansion 
			 Feltham London 34 Cell reclaim 
			 Isis London 480 New build 
			 Moorland South Yorkshire 23 Cell reclaim 
			 Wealstun West Yorkshire 300 Conversion(3) 
			 Buckley Hall Lancashire 60 Expansion 
			 Parc South Wales 330 Expansion 
			 (1) Already delivered. (2) Final phase of opening of new prison Bure. Not new build but a conversion of the former RAF Coltishall. (3 )Places created through conversion of open accommodation to closed conditions. 
		
	
	The following table shows how many of these places are currently planned for delivery in each month in 2010. The number of places delivered in each month may be subject to change.
	
		
			   Number of places 
			 January 672 
			 February 268 
			 March 534 
			 April 284 
			 May 224 
			 June 0 
			 July 480 
			 August 23 
			 September 0 
			 October 300 
			 November 60 
			 December 330

Terrorism: Compensation

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on the retrospective provision of financial support to British citizens who have been subject to terrorist acts overseas.

Claire Ward: The Government have tabled amendments to the Crime and Security Bill to establish a Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation scheme. This will be a forward looking scheme. In accordance with the long standing general principle that the Government and Parliament do not legislate retrospectively, the new scheme will only apply to designated terrorist attacks that take place on or after 18 January 2010 (that is, the date on which the scheme was announced). However, we appreciate that there will be victims of overseas terrorist attacks in recent years who continue to face hardship as a result of the on-going consequences of a disability arising from injuries sustained in such an attack. In recognition of this, the Government have announced plans to provide financial assistance to eligible victims of overseas terrorist attacks since 1 January 2002 who are in such a position. Although separate from the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation scheme, the introduction of these non-statutory arrangements is subject to the passage of the provisions in the Crime and Security Bill.
	Further details will be announced shortly.

Victim Support: Hounslow

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding has been allocated to victim support in the Hounslow constabulary area in each year since 1996.

Claire Ward: Prior to 2001 records of specific allocation of how Victim Support decided to allocate Government funding, broken down into areas, is not available. The following table gives the detail of the allocation of Government funding to Hounslow from 2001 to date. In 2004-05, Hounslow joined the Middlesex region and London thereafter in 2008-09.
	
		
			   Victim Support region  Funding allocated to Hounslow (£)  Total government funding to Victim Support (£ million) 
			 1996-97 Hounslow and Feltham n/a 11.7 
			 1997-98 Hounslow and Feltham n/a 12.7 
			 1998-99 Hounslow and Feltham n/a 12.7 
			 1999-2000 Hounslow and Feltham n/a 17.5 
			 2000-01 Hounslow and Feltham 28,803 18.6 
			 2001-02 Hounslow and Feltham 65,159 25.1 
			 2002-03 Hounslow including Brentford, Greenford and Southall 121,274 29.3 
			 2003-04 Hounslow including Brentford, Greenford and Southall 123,532 30 
			 2004-05 Middlesex 229,637 30 
			 2005-06 Middlesex 229,637 30 
			 2006-07 Middlesex 227,137 30 
			 2007-08 Middlesex 227,137 35.8 
			 2008-09 London 5,087,796 37 
			 n/a = Not available

Young Offenders

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offenders received remand decisions of  (a) conditional bail,  (b) unconditional bail,  (c) local authority accommodation and  (d) custody in each youth offending team area in the last six month period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number of remand decisions of  (a) conditional bail,  (b) unconditional bail,  (c) local authority accommodation and  (d) custody in each youth offending team area during the six-month period from October 2008 to March 2009.
	The data have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. Differences in counting rules may mean that figures from other databases are not directly comparable.
	
		
			  Remands of young people under 18, October 2008 to March 2009 
			   Conditional bail (including ISSP( 1) )  Unconditional bail  Remand to local authority accommodation  Court-ordered secure remand  Remand in custody 
			 Barking and Dagenham 72 88 5 2 17 
			 Barnet 42 41 1 0 10 
			 Barnsley 29 50 1 0 5 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 19 62 0 1 4 
			 Bedfordshire 83 117 1 1 19 
			 Bexley 45 52 1 3 4 
			 Birmingham 288 626 22 10 96 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 51 87 6 0 8 
			 Blackpool 105 136 8 4 15 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 27 93 1 2 6 
			 Bolton 60 178 0 3 27 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 40 119 1 0 5 
			 Bracknell Forest 18 48 0 0 7 
			 Bradford 196 277 5 2 45 
			 Brent 117 127 11 10 43 
			 Bridgend 13 42 1 0 4 
			 Brighton and Hove 27 63 2 2 6 
			 Bristol 135 160 0 8 39 
			 Bromley 73 102 2 4 16 
			 Buckinghamshire 33 103 0 0 11 
			 Bury 40 64 0 1 7 
			 Calderdale 42 83 2 2 18 
			 Cambridgeshire 80 92 5 2 18 
			 Camden 83 100 0 2 16 
			 Cardiff 138 132 4 1 21 
			 Carmarthenshire 36 33 0 0 5 
			 Ceredigion 8 17 0 0 1 
			 Cheshire 84 121 0 0 19 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 57 84 1 0 6 
			 Cornwall 40 58 2 0 5 
			 Coventry 87 162 2 0 29 
			 Croydon 106 174 4 0 20 
			 Cumbria 36 85 5 0 9 
			 Darlington 11 53 0 0 2 
			 Derby 87 124 2 5 10 
			 Derbyshire 102 251 5 3 13 
			 Devon 50 203 3 1 14 
			 Doncaster 45 114 2 1 13 
			 Dorset 32 72 0 0 3 
			 Dudley 51 70 3 0 13 
			 Durham 62 234 1 0 10 
			 Ealing 84 73 1 5 30 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 24 82 0 0 3 
			 East Sussex 52 168 2 3 17 
			 Enfield 97 110 4 4 14 
			 Essex 121 272 4 1 23 
			 Flintshire 37 22 1 0 0 
			 Gateshead 18 5 0 3 4 
			 Gloucestershire 64 154 1 3 10 
			 Greenwich 94 82 5 3 27 
			 Gwynedd Mon 33 11 6 0 2 
			 Hackney 101 118 2 4 35 
			 Halton and Warrington 50 71 3 3 10 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 66 70 1 1 6 
			 Haringey 81 104 1 2 12 
			 Harrow 52 73 3 5 8 
			 Hartlepool 26 59 3 0 5 
			 Havering 37 38 7 0 6 
			 Hertfordshire 111 229 6 0 20 
			 Hillingdon 46 96 1 2 13 
			 Hounslow 73 79 1 2 23 
			 Islington 64 116 1 2 14 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 56 45 2 2 12 
			 Kent 292 309 14 4 36 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 104 119 5 3 18 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 23 52 0 3 5 
			 Kirklees 114 300 8 4 16 
			 Knowsley 56 69 0 2 10 
			 Lambeth 103 150 2 0 39 
			 Lancashire 171 145 9 7 37 
			 Leeds 335 428 16 12 64 
			 Leicester City 65 173 4 3 13 
			 Leicestershire 43 121 3 3 8 
			 Lewisham 151 122 7 5 38 
			 Lincolnshire 72 140 4 2 10 
			 Liverpool 153 281 3 4 27 
			 Luton 64 81 0 0 6 
			 Manchester 194 386 0 9 66 
			 Medway 47 83 2 2 13 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 33 24 1 0 4 
			 Merton 38 67 0 0 5 
			 Milton Keynes 50 100 5 0 9 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 11 70 0 0 0 
			 Neath Port Talbot 15 50 0 1 3 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 75 214 1 0 18 
			 Newham 75 101 4 5 40 
			 Newport 41 86 0 2 3 
			 Norfolk 103 246 3 3 11 
			 North East Lincolnshire 96 105 22 3 24 
			 North Lincolnshire 49 80 13 4 21 
			 North Somerset 34 35 9 1 8 
			 North Tyneside 64 133 0 1 10 
			 North Yorkshire 77 148 8 0 11 
			 Northamptonshire 210 198 9 11 15 
			 Northumberland 82 188 0 0 8 
			 Nottingham 102 225 13 1 41 
			 Nottinghamshire 66 196 4 4 10 
			 Oldham 77 139 2 5 8 
			 Oxfordshire 49 118 5 2 15 
			 Pembrokeshire 22 23 2 1 4 
			 Peterborough 50 74 0 2 13 
			 Plymouth 43 133 0 0 7 
			 Powys 8 29 0 0 0 
			 Reading 39 83 0 0 9 
			 Redbridge 75 47 3 0 12 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 45 75 3 2 6 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 21 12 0 0 4 
			 Rochdale 67 159 2 0 18 
			 Rotherham 52 103 2 4 9 
			 Salford 62 113 2 0 15 
			 Sandwell 87 112 4 2 22 
			 Sefton 50 50 0 0 12 
			 Sheffield 134 174 5 9 35 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 66 100 2 0 7 
			 Slough 54 81 0 0 11 
			 Solihull 18 38 0 0 9 
			 Somerset 46 68 3 1 7 
			 South Gloucestershire 28 78 0 0 5 
			 South Tees 83 144 2 3 17 
			 South Tyneside 61 139 3 0 6 
			 Southend-on-Sea 48 52 0 0 7 
			 Southwark 115 142 1 5 29 
			 St. Helens 62 79 0 2 17 
			 Staffordshire 91 201 5 1 13 
			 Stockport 25 78 0 0 6 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 25 58 0 0 3 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 66 161 3 3 11 
			 Suffolk 68 167 2 1 9 
			 Sunderland 34 189 0 0 3 
			 Surrey 71 158 1 2 12 
			 Sutton 36 49 0 1 3 
			 Swansea 52 62 0 1 3 
			 Swindon 86 119 4 1 2 
			 Tameside 61 87 0 0 10 
			 Thurrock 39 47 2 1 10 
			 Torbay 11 46 2 1 2 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 90 75 2 2 14 
			 Trafford 57 86 0 0 20 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 46 49 2 4 4 
			 Wakefield 67 101 2 0 8 
			 Walsall 48 100 6 1 12 
			 Waltham Forest 95 86 1 1 22 
			 Wandsworth 133 96 6 11 21 
			 Warwickshire 56 103 2 2 5 
			 Wessex 365 742 34 16 82 
			 West Berkshire 18 49 0 0 2 
			 West Sussex 64 221 1 5 15 
			 Westminster 60 38 2 0 6 
			 Wigan 37 98 3 0 11 
			 Wiltshire 67 81 1 0 4 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 2 30 1 0 3 
			 Wirral 54 86 0 7 9 
			 Wokingham 15 44 0 0 0 
			 Wolverhampton 62 148 6 1 12 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 122 237 8 4 13 
			 Wrexham 39 49 3 2 9 
			 York 53 61 0 0 10 
			 (1) Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme.  Source: Data provided by YJB

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated  (a) amount and  (b) cost was of energy used in his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Northern Ireland Office Core 
			   Total energy Kw/h  Total cost( £)  Percentage of electricity purchased generated from renewable sources  Biomass Kw/h 
			 2004-05 4,216,520 174,877 12 0 
			 2005-06 5,625,286 253,901 19 0 
			 2006-07 4,852,080 309,608 17 0 
			 2007-08 5,660,863 347,854 18 0 
			 2008-09 3,446,157 377,179 16 43,200 
		
	
	
		
			  Public Prosecution Service 
			   Total energy usage 
			   Kw/h  £ 
			 2004-05 174,9371 122,620 
			 2005-06 2,082,376 190,063 
			 2006-07 3,024,459 281,620 
			 2007-08 3,276,114 341,330 
			 2008-09 3,281,271 303,600 
		
	
	
		
			  Crown Solicitor's Office 
			   Total energy usage 
			   Fuel (Oil) (£)  Electric (£) 
			 2004-05 9,453 10,774 
			 2005-06 5,535 6,366 
			 2006-07 11,441 16,506 
			 2007-08 6,696 9,071 
			 2008-09 19,595 13,065 
		
	
	
		
			  Northern Ireland Prison Service 
			   Total Kw/h  Total (£)  Percentage green electricity  Total renewable 
			 2004-05 42,610,301 2,134,684 15 4.1 
			 2005-06 55,708,772 2,530,790 20 4.4 
			 2006-07 58,238,073 2,941,982 20 4.4 
			 2007-08 58,631,316 3,169,019 20 4.5 
			 2008-09 60,377,730 4,273,141 100 23.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Forensic Science Northern Ireland 
			   Total energy usage 
			   Kw/h  £ 
			 2006-07 2,048,872 98,892 
			 2007-08 1,999,447 92,285 
			 2008-09 2,325,183 139,595 
		
	
	
		
			  Youth Justice Agency 
			   Total energy usage 
			   Kw/h  £ 
			 2004-05  206,525 
			 2005-06  246,966 
			 2006-07  359,759 
			 2007-08  255,494 
			 2008-09  380,590 
		
	
	Compensation Agency best estimate is that the energy costs since 1997 directly paid have been £10,000 per annum.

Weapons

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning to publish an inventory of decommissioned terrorist weapons, explosives and materials.

Paul Goggins: The decommissioning arrangements ended in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2010 and end in Ireland on 25 February 2010. The Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) will shortly provide both Governments with a report on the decommissioning which has taken place in the last six months. I will place copies of that report in the Libraries of both Houses. I am discussing with the Irish Government and the IICD arrangements to conclude the work of the IICD.

DEFENCE

Defence Medical Services: Manpower

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1468W, on Defence Medical Services: manpower, when a copy of the October 2009 figures will be placed in the Library.

Kevan Jones: I apologise for the delay in responding to this question.
	The latest available data are summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Defence Medical Service Regulars: Manning as at 1 October 2009 
			   Requirement  Trained strength  Shortfall (percentage) 
			 Medical officers 818 476 42 
			 Nurses 1,900 1,500 21 
			 Medical support services 4,083 3,882 5 
			 Dental officers and allied dental healthcare professionals 777 764 2 
			 Total 7,578 6,622 13 
			  Notes: 1. Requirement excludes the manning and training margin. 2. Trained strength only includes personnel that are qualified in their speciality. 3. 'Medical support services' include the paramedics cadre. 4. Dental officers and allied dental healthcare professionals includes dental practitioners, dental support officers, dental surgery assistants and dental technicians. 
		
	
	It has been decided that detailed data will no longer be published where this would highlight potential pinch points within the armed forces, including the Defence Medical Services. I am withholding information on pinch points as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	In order to maintain appropriate external scrutiny of such data, the Department will continue to provide comprehensive restricted manning data to the House of Commons Defence Committee.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on urgent operational requirements in 2009-10.

Bob Ainsworth: We have recently raised our 2009-10 Urgent Operational Requirements estimate to £936 million. The precise in-year spend will not be known until after the end of the financial year but we are currently forecasting that we will spend close to, but below, the estimate.

Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the total cost of the interim storage of laid-up submarines project.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 54W and on 30 November 2009,  Official Report, column 418W.

Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent estimate he has made of the whole-life cost of the submarine dismantling project;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the submarine dismantling project in  (a) Rosyth Dockyard and  (b) Devonport Dockyard.

Quentin Davies: The project currently has approval to undertake a £14 million assessment phase due to complete in 2011. This will be followed by the demonstration phase, which will run from 2011 to 2013; costs for this phase have not yet been approved. Whole life cost figures will be developed as part of the preparation of the main gate business case, which is planned to be submitted for approval in 2013.
	The development of the costs associated with different project options, including site options, will form a part of this work.

Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the merits of using the site at Sellafield for the  (a) submarine dismantling and  (b) radioactive waste storage elements of the submarine dismantling project;
	(2)  what sites his Department is considering to use for the  (a) submarine dismantling and  (b) radioactive waste storage elements of the submarine dismantling project.

Quentin Davies: There are currently four regions where there are MOD or defence-related commercial sites that are likely to be considered for submarine dismantling project activities. These regions are Devon, Fife, Argyll and Bute and Berkshire. A number of briefings to elected representatives in these regions have already been carried out, including to the hon. Member, and others have been scheduled.
	The project is at an early stage in the process to develop an effective public consultation and associated strategic environmental assessment. This work has included identification of existing nuclear sites, both defence and civil, that are technically capable of submarine dismantling or storing the resultant radioactive waste. At this stage, two sites have been identified that could be technically capable of carrying out dismantling activities and 12 sites have been identified that could be technically capable of carrying out waste storage. Technical capability is only one aspect and the wider suitability of sites has not yet been assessed.
	Further analysis work is still required and, until the public consultation is complete, no decisions will be taken on sites for either submarine dismantling or waste storage. I am withholding details of the individual sites identified at this time, as the MOD intend to publish this information in the future as part of the planned public consultation and strategic environmental assessment.

Nuclear Submarines: Decommissioning

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the technical barriers to the  (a) submarine dismantling and  (b) radioactive waste storage elements of the submarine dismantling project.

Quentin Davies: No technical barriers have been identified that would prevent either submarine dismantling or radioactive waste storage from taking place. Most technical aspects of the work have already been demonstrated elsewhere, either in other industry sectors, particularly the civil nuclear sector, or through other countries' work on dismantling nuclear submarines.
	We continue to work closely with a range of organisations, including both industry and Government, in the UK and elsewhere, to ensure that we develop appropriate technical solutions that are both safe and effective.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Overseas Aid

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent in each developing country on promoting good governance in 2009-10 to date; and how much it spent in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) spent £688,453,000 in 2007-08 and £684,014,000 in 2008-09 bilaterally on promoting good governance. The figure for 2009-10 is not yet available.
	DFID supports a broad definition of good governance and the above figures include funding for elections, civil society strengthening, security sector reform, post-conflict peace building, legal and judicial development, corruption and public sector financial management.
	DFID bilateral spend by country, by sector and by year is available on DFID's website at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Finance-and-performance/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2009

Developing Countries: Overseas Aid

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding his Department has allocated to supporting parliaments in developing countries in 2009-10 to date; and how much funding it allocated in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports parliaments in our partner countries as part of our overall support to governance. We do not track absolute values of support to parliaments within this category. DFID bilateral aid for promoting good governance totalled £688,453,000 in 2007-08 and £684,014,000 2008-09. The figure for 2009-10 is not yet available.

Remittances

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 229-30W, on remittances, what information he sought from offices of his Department in African countries on remittance flows in the last quarter of 2009-10.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not independently compile data on remittances. We monitor trends in remittance flows using data compiled by the World Bank, which sources its information directly from Central Banks. Based on the information currently available, the World Bank is expecting remittance flows to Sub-Saharan Africa in 2009 to have remained stable at 2008 figures of $21 billion.

HEALTH

Blood

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions exist in the NHS blood and transplant contract in respect of the re-sale of blood and blood components by private hospitals; and on what date the contract entered into force.

Gillian Merron: The current NHS Blood and Transplant contract for the supply of blood to hospitals stipulates that blood components, whether purchased directly or on behalf of a third party, must not be sold on for a profit. This contract came into force on 1 April 2008, and runs until 31 March 2011. Current contractual arrangements allow hospitals to supply blood to other NHS or private hospitals and pass on the costs, provided no profit is made.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to his Department's taskforce on the health aspects of violence against women and girls in 2009-10.

Ann Keen: The Department has allocated approximately £335,000 to the taskforce on the health aspects of violence against women and girls in 2009-10. This funding has paid for a series of detailed focus groups to explore the experiences of women and children who are victims of violence and the national health service response, employment of staff, a literature review, publication of associated reports and ongoing support for the running of taskforce itself.

Health Protection Agency

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the consultants' reports on  (a) the outline business cases for the Porton Down and Terlings Park options and  (b) the preferred option analysis for the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response Developments at Terlings Park or at Porton Down.

Gillian Merron: The documents to which the hon. Member refers have not been submitted to the Department.
	The Department does not disclose business cases, such as this, which contain commercially sensitive information.

Health Protection Agency: Location

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are being made for the relocation of Health Protection Agency staff and activities from Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle; and how many such  (a) staff and  (b) activities have so far been relocated and to each site.

Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agency's (HPA's) clinical microbiology activity at Newcastle is to be transferred to other national health service accommodation in Newcastle as a result of redevelopment plans for Newcastle General Hospital. No clinical microbiology staff or activities have yet been transferred.
	The HPA's Food, Water and Environmental Unit at Newcastle is transferring to Leeds as part of a phased transfer. Three senior staff will transfer to Leeds or will work remotely, as part of this transfer. The remainder of the staff have been offered alternative employment within the Newcastle Clinical laboratory and will re-locate with these units to sites within Newcastle Trust. The HPA is aiming to complete this process by 31 March.

Health Protection Agency: Porton Down

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of the Health Protection Agency's (HPA) recommendation to his Department to close the HPA site at Porton Down.

Gillian Merron: The Health Protection Agency has made no recommendation to the Department to close its site at Porton Down. The Department does not disclose business cases, such as this one, which contain commercially sensitive information.

Muscular Dystrophy

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to increase the number of centres for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of local health bodies to ensure they have appropriate facilities available for the care of those living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
	Neuromuscular services, including those for muscular dystrophy, are included within the Adult Neurosciences Chapter of the Third Edition of the Specialised Services National Definition (SSNDS). SSNDS helps hospitals to provide soundly based costings and commissioners to effectively plan, procure and monitor specialised services activity. The third edition of the set will improve the precision and coverage of the definitions, incorporating the most up to date diagnosis and intervention codes to make the SSNDS as comprehensive as possible.
	The National Specialised Commissioning team has brought to Specialist Commissioning Groups attention the key issues arising from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign ongoing awareness campaign.
	The Government's National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-term Conditions focuses on improving the standard and quality of services for people with neurological conditions including muscular dystrophy. The aim of the NSF is to ensure all those with these conditions will get faster diagnosis, more rapid treatment and a comprehensive package of care.

Prostate Cancer: Medical Treatments

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with a diagnosis of prostate cancer were recorded as having received treatment by  (a) watchful waiting,  (b) active surveillance,  (c) radical prostatectomy,  (d) laparoscopic prostatectomy,  (e) robotic prostatectomy,  (f) low-dose rate brachytherapy,  (g) high-dose rate brachytherapy,  (h) cryotherapy,  (i) external beam radiotherapy,  (j) hormone therapy,  (k) high intensity ultrasound,  (l) chemotherapy,  (m) bisphosphonates and  (n) another method in each primary care trust commissioning area of responsibility in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: This Information is not held in the requested format. We are not able to provide figures relating to: watchful waiting, active surveillance, radical prostatectomy and bisphosphonates, as these are not captured in Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS)-4 codes.
	We have provided a count of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was prostate cancer and this information has been placed in the Library.

Prostate Cancer: Medical Treatments

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on hormonal therapy prescriptions for prostate cancer in  (a) England,  (b) each primary care trust area and  (c) each constituency since 2007.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library, apart from constituency information, which is not collected centrally.
	The tables provide the net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed in the community by primary care trust (PCT) and nationally. Information on usage in hospitals is available and has been included in the response for England but is not available at PCT level.

Swine Flu: Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated for symptoms of swine influenza at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton in the last 12 months.

Gillian Merron: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is collected at trust level. Musgrove Park Hospital is part of Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has treated an estimated 62 in-patients with swine flu (H1N1 swabbed or clinically presumed) from 8 am 6 July 2009 to 8 am 11 February 2010. The Department did not collect data prior to 6 July 2009.

Turning Point

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has evaluated the effectiveness of the Turning Point charity's handling of the Connected Care programme on behalf of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: Delivering Connected Care in Hartlepool is one of the Department's social enterprise pathfinder projects. The Department's 26 social enterprise pathfinder projects have been collectively evaluated but no specific evaluations of Turning Point in this regard was undertaken. The evaluation focused on the processes, barriers and enablers to social enterprise in the health and social care sector.

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information: Contracts

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 101, on the Central Office of Information: public relations, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Building Britain's Future Urban Youth contract; which firm was awarded the contract; and what the monetary value is of the contract.

Tessa Jowell: Livity Ltd were engaged by Cabinet Office to work on communicating the themes in Building Britain's Future to young audiences. The total value of the contract was £20,000 (excluding VAT).
	Cabinet Office does not place contracts with its commercial suppliers in the Library as they are classified commercial in confidence. In this instance, the contract with Livity Ltd was drawn up by COI. The standard Terms and Conditions were those as per the COI's Cultural Diversity Framework. A copy of these has been placed in the Library. Future COI Framework Terms And Conditions will be published on the COI website when renewed.

Central Office of Information: Contracts

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the predicted monetary value is of the Branding lot of the Central Office of Information's Marketing and Brand Strategy Consultancy Framework; what contracts have been awarded under that lot; to which public bodies; and what estimate she has made of the total monetary value of all contracts under the Framework agreement.

Tessa Jowell: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information to write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 8 February 2010:
	asking for information regarding the Strategic Consultancy Framework.
	There is no estimated monetary value of the Branding lot of the Central Office of Information's Marketing and Brand Strategy Consultancy Framework.
	Two contracts have been awarded from the lot to Dept for Innovation and Shills and the National Fraud Authority Development Board.
	The estimated total monetary value of all contracts under this Framework agreement is £13-14m over 4 years.

Central Office of Information: Contracts

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the predicted monetary value is of the Brand and Values lot of the Central Office of Information's Internal Communication, Engagement and Change Consultancy Framework; what contracts have been awarded under that lot; to which public bodies such contracts have been awarded; and what estimate she has made of the total monetary value of all contracts to be let under the Framework agreement.

Tessa Jowell: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information to write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 2 February 2010:
	on the Internal Communication, Engagement and Change Framework;
	No contracts have been awarded under Lot 3 (Brand & Values) of the Internal Communications, Engagement and Change framework.
	Total estimated monetary value of all contracts to be let under the duration (4 years) of the ICEC Framework Agreement is £9-10 million.

Departmental Computer Software

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her policy is in respect of the installation and use of  (a) Internet Explorer,  (b) Firefox and  (c) Opera website browsers by Government departments.  [Official Report, 1 March 2010, Vol. 506, c. 12MC.]

Angela Smith: Government policy regarding installation and use of web browsers is that all decisions must be in line with value for money requirements. In addition, the Open Source, Open Standards, Re-use strategy requires Departments to consider open source browsers such as Firefox and Opera on a level basis with proprietary browsers such as Internet Explorer. The strategy can be found at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/318020/open_source.pdf

Departmental Freedom of Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1140W, on departmental correspondence, what her Department's policy is on the target for providing  (a) an acknowledgement and  (b) a substantive response to a request made under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Tessa Jowell: Requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are handled in accordance with the Act. Section 10 of the Act deals with the time for compliance with requests. Requests must be responded to promptly or in any event not later than 20 working days following receipt. In certain circumstances this 20 working day deadline can be extended.

Government Departments: Advertising

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government has spent on advertisements for Government services on  (a) television and  (b) commercial radio since 2005.

Tessa Jowell: This information is not collected centrally. Each Government Department, agency and NDPB is responsible for setting its own communications priorities and outputs, and each Secretary of State is responsible to Parliament.
	While no central figures are held on the total Government communications spend, figures for Department's expenditure through the Central Office of Information (COI) are shown in the COI Annual Report. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House. However these figures only provide a partial picture and do not distinguish between different advertising media.

Government Departments: Marketing

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to page 16 of Smarter Government, Cm 7753, what the monetary value is of the planned reduction in marketing and communications spend; over what period the planned reduction is expected to take place; whether the reduction relates to  (a) Central Office of Information expenditure and  (b) departmental expenditure; and whether she expects there to be any reduction in the number of departmental press officers employed.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The 2009 pre-Budget report announced that Government would save £650 million from cuts of 50 per cent. in consultancy spend and 25 per cent. in marketing and communications spend across Government by 2012-13. The 25 per cent. cut will be based on 2009-10 spending levels. It will be for individual Departments and arm's length bodies to decide their priority for future spending.

Homeworking

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate she has made of the number of people who worked from home in  (a) rural areas,  (b) urban areas and  (c) nationally in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the workforce this represented in each case in each year.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will instruct the Cabinet Secretary to make available to the Iraq Inquiry the documents which Lord Goldsmith said he would wish to be made public during his appearance at the Inquiry on 27 January 2010.

Tessa Jowell: Government Departments have provided, or are in the process of providing, copies of all documents and electronic information they hold which the inquiry has so far requested. The Iraq inquiry has access to all Government papers it wants to see, including those referred to by Lord Goldsmith.
	Publication of documents is a separate matter. Requests from the inquiry for declassification of documents are being handled in accordance with the protocol agreed between the Government and the inquiry, which is available on the Cabinet Office's website and a copy is in the Library of the House.

Non-profit Making Organisations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what criteria the Office of the Third Sector uses to evaluate the performance of  (a) social enterprise networks and  (b) regional development agencies against their objectives to develop social enterprise.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) does not evaluate the performance of the social enterprise networks. OTS does, however, work closely with the regional social enterprise networks and the regional development agencies (RDAs), as well as the national social enterprise representative body, the Social Enterprise Coalition, of which the regional networks are members. OTS has recently committed to host and chair a regular working group of the regional social enterprise networks and the RDAs which will aim to share information and best practice on supporting social enterprise.
	The OTS is investing £5.9 million over four years from 2007-08, to improve social enterprise business support in each of the nine English regions. In October 2008, a contractor was appointed to undertake a national evaluation of the project. A baseline report on the early stages of the programme is available on the OTS website where further reports leading up to the final report due in 2011 will also be published:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/social_enterprise_business_support_baseline_report.aspx
	The Cabinet Office is also funding £6 million Social Enterprise Programme being delivered by Capacitybuilders, which aims to increase collaboration and knowledge sharing between social enterprise infrastructure and support services across the third sector.

Self-employed

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were recorded as self-employed in  (a) rural areas,  (b) urban areas and  (c) nationally in each year since 1997; and what proportion of the workforce this represented in each case in each year.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Social Mobility Commission

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much funding has been allocated to the Social Mobility Commission; by what mechanisms its staff will be appointed; how many staff will be employed by that Commission; and what the terms of reference are of that Commission.

Angela Smith: In 'Unleashing Aspirations', published on 18 January 2010, the Government set out its response to the final report of the Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, and agreed to establish a Social Mobility Commission. It will give expert advice to Government and report on progress towards a fairer, more mobile society.
	A transition team has been set up within the Cabinet Office to make the necessary preparations for this Commission. The transition team will develop the detail of the Commission's terms of reference, funding and work programme. It will also advise on the appointment of members and the selection criteria for any appointments to the Commission.
	The budget for the Social Mobility Commission has yet to be established, and will form part of the consideration of the transition team.

Voluntary Organisations: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether funding allocated to the Futurebuilders has been re-allocated to the Third Sector Recession Action Plan.

Angela Smith: The Real Help for Communities Action Plan is partially funded, with Treasury permission, from a draw down on end-year flexibility which has been accumulated from under-spends in some OTS programmes, including Futurebuilders.
	Funding was not reallocated from Futurebuilders to the Third Sector Recession Action Plan.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Development: Business

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been granted under the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative in each  (a) local authority and  (b) lower layer super output area in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: The Local Enterprise Growth Initiative follows closely the principles of devolution and provides eligible local authorities with the authority, freedom and flexibility to best determine the local needs and options, and use the funding in creative ways to support local priorities. Information is therefore not available for each lower layer super output area (LSOA).
	I have placed in the Library of the House a table which provides details of LEGI allocations by local authority.

Community Development: Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been granted under the New Communities Fund in each  (a) local authority and  (b) lower super output area in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 10 February 2010,  Official Report, column 1027W.

Community Development: Expenditure

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been granted under the Inspiring Communities Grant in each  (a) local authority and  (b) lower super output area in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: Inspiring Communities has been designed as a two-year pilot for learning. Details of grant funding for the 15 projects are given as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Local authority  Lower super output areas  2009-10  2010-11 
			 LB Barking and Dagenham (Heath Ward) E01000061 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			 
			 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (Kendray and Worsbrough Bank End E01007318 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01007416   
			  E01007320   
			  E01007463   
			  E01007462   
			  E01007317   
			 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (Darwen Central) E01012649 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01012647   
			  E01012654   
			  E01012650   
			  E01012646   
			 
			 Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council (Tonge with the Haulgh) E01004817 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01004818   
			  E01004819   
			  E01004821   
			  E01004926   
			  E01004927   
			  E01004928   
			  E01004929   
			  E01004930   
			  E01004931   
			  E01004932   
			 
			 City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (in Community) E01010608 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01010624   
			  E01010606   
			  E01010831   
			  E01010621   
			  E01010622   
			  E01010620   
			  E01010617   
			  E01010829   
			  E01010607   
			 
			 Bristol City Council (Henbury) E01014605 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01014601   
			  E01014602   
			  E01014603   
			  E01014604   
			  E01014606   
			 
			 Barrow Borough Council (Central and Hindpool) E01019140 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01019141   
			  E01019142   
			  E01019143   
			  E01019156   
			  E01019157   
			  E01019158   
			  E01019159   
			 
			 Shepway District Council (East Folkestone) E01024504 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01024505   
			  E01024506   
			  E01024507   
			 
			 Pendle Borough Council (Colne Primet) E01025181 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01025220   
			  E01025226   
			  E01025227   
			 
			 Manchester City Council (Gorton South) E01005235 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01005201   
			  E01005198   
			  E01005195   
			  E01005197   
			  E01005196   
			 
			 North East Lincolnshire Council (The Willows and West Marsh) E01013144 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01013220   
			  E01013218   
			 
			 Breckland Council (Saxon and Abbey Wards) E01026467 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01026477   
			  E01026475   
			  E01026476   
			 
			 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (Rawmarsh) E01007775 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01007774   
			  E01007782   
			  E01007781   
			  E01007783   
			  E01007780   
			 
			 South Tyneside Council (East Shields) E01008622 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01008623   
			  E01008682   
			  E01008594   
			  E01008626   
			  E01008592   
			  E01008591   
			 
			 Stoke on Trent City Council (Dresden, Normacot and Florence) E01014307 Up to 201,666 Up to 285,000 
			  E01014306

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance he has issued to local authorities on the use of Community Land Trusts;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to promote Community Land Trusts in urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The Government are committed to helping the development of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) that are well managed and financially robust.
	To provide clarity about the nature of the CLT sector, we included a definition of a CLT in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.
	We have supported a number of pilot CLT projects across the country through the Housing Corporation and its successor the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The HCA is exploring with local authorities the role that CLTs could play in meeting local housing need.
	We have approved a £500,000 grant for Carnegie UK, supported by Community Finance Solutions, to develop the CLT sector by developing a sustainable network of training/guidance and support, and by engaging with lenders to facilitate access to finance for communities wishing to develop CLTs.
	We have also funded the Development Trust Association to establish an asset transfer unit to help community organisations including CLTs to transform land and buildings into community assets.

Disadvantaged

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of deprivation in England was as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation for each individual indicator of deprivation in each  (a) local authority and  (b) lower layer super output area in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: The English indices of deprivation have, since 2004, been produced at lower level super output area (LSOA) level. LSOAs are smaller than wards and are designed to remain consistent in size, and over time, to allow more detailed identification of pockets of deprivation. There are 32,482 LSOAs in England with an average population of 1,500 people.
	The indices are presented by ranking each area to show relative, rather than absolute levels of, deprivation. LSOAs are ranked from 1, most deprived, to 32,482, least deprived.
	There are a selection of local authority level summary measures. The majority of the domains, and all the underlying indicators, are only published at LSOA level. For full details I refer to the publications on the Communities and Local Government website, as follows:
	Indices of deprivation 2007 LSOA and Local Authority summaries can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/neighbourhoodrenewal/deprivation/deprivation07/
	Indices of deprivation 2004 LSOA and local authority summaries can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/general-content/communities/indicesofdeprivation/216309/
	Before this, the indices were produced for each electoral ward in England. Indices of deprivation 2000 ward summaries can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/archived/general-content/communities/indicesofdeprivation/indicesofdeprivation/

Empty Dwelling Management Orders: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty dwelling management orders there have been in each housing authority area in the North East region to date.

Ian Austin: In total twenty nine interim empty dwelling management orders have been issued to date. A residential property tribunal authorised the issue of one interim empty dwelling management order by South Tyneside council in March 2009.
	Empty dwelling management orders should only be considered as a last resort, where all other measures of investigation and negotiation have been exhausted and the local authority has been unable to persuade the owner to bring the property back into use. In many cases the threat of an empty dwelling management order is sufficient to make owners take action.

Energy Performance Certificates

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment his Department has made of the average cost to a certificate holder of a domestic energy performance certificate; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The cost of energy performance certificates (EPCs) is determined by the market. No information is therefore held centrally upon which to base an estimate of the average cost to building owners or landlords of having an EPC prepared on any property that they may own.

Government Offices for the Regions: Finance

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what programme budgets of each sponsoring Government department are administered by Government Offices for the Regions.

Rosie Winterton: The programme budgets currently being administered by Government offices for the regions are as follows:
	 CLG
	Regional Assembly Grant
	Regional Housing Pot
	Regional Chambers Fund
	Local Area Agreements
	Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant
	Disabled Facilities Grant
	European Regional Development Fund-Objectives 1 and 2
	New Deal for Communities
	Preventing Violent Extremism
	PSA 16 Challenge Fund
	 DWP
	European Social Fund-Objectives 1, 2 and 3
	 DCSF
	GO Networking
	CSA Support
	CSA Secondee costs
	Young London Matters
	Manchester City Region
	Child Poverty
	Childcare Regional Networks
	Local Delivery Support
	14-19 Sub-regional Groupings Support
	Youth Opportunities Fund
	Youth Capital Fund/Capital Fund Plus
	Teenage Pregnancy
	Quality Protects and Education Protects
	Community Cohesion Unit
	Safeguarding Advisors
	Sustainable Schools
	Parenting Regional Conferences
	Child Health Strategy Regional Conference
	You're Welcome
	CSLA Pilots
	NEET Hotspots
	Under 5's Free Offer
	2 Year Olds Offer
	 Home Office/Ministry of Justice
	Regional Partnership Performance Improvement Fund
	National Partnership Performance Improvement Fund
	Prevent Fund
	Protect Programme Delivery
	Private Space Violence Fund
	Youth Crime Delivery
	Basic Command Unit Fund
	Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs)
	Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs)
	Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs)
	Rape Crisis Centre Funding
	Not in my Neighbourhood
	Tackling Violent Crime Programme (TVCP)
	ISB Devon's Project Expenditure
	PPSU Safer Bristol Partnership
	 DEFRA
	Leader + (EAGGF)
	Sustainable Development Transformation & Transition Fund
	Regional Climate Change Partnership Funding
	 Cabinet Office
	Regional Infrastructure Programme

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to Lord Bates of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 1190, on energy performance certificates, what the evidential basis is for the assessment that home information packs have  (a) bedded down well and  (b) proved to be a useful instrument to help purchasers.

Ian Austin: A survey by Connells estate agency in 2009 of more than 37,000 transactions showed that sales with HIPs go through seven days more quickly on average. Consumer research carried out by the OFT showed that a third of buyers were influenced by their HIP and found the new property information questionnaire to be the most useful component.

Homelessness

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the provision of services to households which are designated intentionally homeless;
	(2)  what provision is made for emergency accommodation for households which are classified as intentionally homeless;
	(3)  how many households classified as intentionally homeless in each of the last three years included children;
	(4)  how many households classified as intentionally homeless were provided with emergency accommodation in each of the last three years; and how many such households were accommodated for more than  (a) 28 and  (b) 60 days;
	(5)  how many households in each local authority area were classified as intentionally homeless in each of the last three years;
	(6)  how many households in temporary accommodation were classified as intentionally homeless in each of the last three years;
	(7)  how many of the households in temporary accommodation were classified as intentionally homeless on the latest date for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: Chapter 11 of the "Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities", issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in July 2006 under section 182 of the Housing Act 1996 ("the 1996 Act") provides guidance to local authorities on determining whether housing applicants became homeless, or threatened with homelessness, intentionally or unintentionally. Supplementary guidance on intentional homelessness, in respect of applicants who face homelessness following difficulties in mortgage commitments, was issued by the Secretary of State in August 2009 under s.182 of the 1996 Act. The guidance is available on the Department's website at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homelessnesscode
	Under section 190(2)(a) of the 1996 Act, where a local housing authority in England are satisfied that an applicant is eligible for assistance, has a priority need for accommodation but has become homeless intentionally, the authority must secure that accommodation is available for the applicant's occupation for such period as they consider will give the applicant a reasonable opportunity of securing accommodation for his or her occupation. Under section 190(2)(b), the authority must also provide the applicant with (or secure that the applicant is provided with) advice and assistance in any attempts the applicant may make to secure that accommodation becomes available for his or her occupation. Under section 188(1) of the 1996 Act, authorities also have a duty to secure accommodation for applicants, pending inquiries, if they have reason to believe the applicant may eligible for assistance, homeless and may have a priority need for accommodation. This duty will apply even if the authority has reason to believe the applicant may have become homeless intentionally.
	Information about English local housing authorities' activities under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly statistical release on statutory homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq32009
	Under the legislation, the priority need categories include, among others, applicants with whom dependent children reside or might reasonably be expected to reside. Data collected includes the number of applicants accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, in priority need but intentionally homeless.
	The number of households found to be eligible for assistance, intentionally homeless and in priority need in the years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 is 10930, 9560 and 8890 respectively. Information about the number of these households that included children is not held centrally.
	Information about the number of households found intentionally homeless and provided with emergency accommodation, and for how long they were accommodated, is not held centrally.
	Data on households found to be eligible for assistance, intentionally homeless and in priority need are provided in live table 627 on statutory homelessness, which is published on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/141476.xls
	The number of households accepted as eligible for assistance, in priority need but intentionally homeless and accommodated in temporary accommodation for such period as will give the applicant a reasonable opportunity to secure accommodation was 1370, 810 and 840 at the end of March 2007, March 2008 and March 2009, respectively. The latest quarterly data show 600 such households in temporary accommodation at the end of September 2009.

Housing

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding his Department has allocated to assist first-time buyers with property purchases in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10,  (c) 2010-11 and  (d) 2011-12.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 9 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 866-68 W.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brent East (Sarah Teather) on 22 February 2010,  Official Report, column 267W.

Housing: Construction

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many permanent dwellings of each tenure were constructed in England in each of the last 30 calendar years including 2009.

Ian Austin: The information requested is shown in live table 244 on the Communities and Local Government website at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1473581.xls

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many schemes scoring less than nine points under the Building for Life criteria were proposed for  (a) private development and  (b) social or affordable housing under the Kickstart programme.

Ian Austin: Under Round 1 of Kickstart, there were 67 schemes which the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) scored as less than nine points under the Building for Life criteria. Of these, 28 included funding for affordable housing. All 28 of these were characterised by either incomplete information being made available to CABE and/or a review of the schemes by HCA. The CABE assessments were used to highlight schemes where more attention was needed and were the basis for further assessment by HCA regional teams. The HCA regional teams were able to augment the CABE assessment with additional relevant local information, to reach their final decisions.
	Further information on Round 1 of Kickstart, including a breakdown of scores under Building for Life, is available on the HCA website.

Immigration

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2010,  Official Report, column 1067W, on immigration, what the average annual projected change is in the number of households in England between 2006 and 2031 on the basis of the principal population projection; and what the equivalent average annual increase is using a zero net migration projection.

John Healey: The latest national household projections, based on the 2006 Sub-National Population Projections published by the Office for National Statistics, are published on the Communities and Local Government website and contain figures showing the components of household growth.

Landlords

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his Department's news release of 3 February 2010 on tenants' protection, what plans his Department has for an online directory of landlords; what estimate he has made of the costs of establishing such a directory; whether such costs are to be entirely borne by his Department; when he expects the directory to begin operation; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: Details of our plans for a national register of landlords are set out in the paper published alongside the 3 February announcement-"The private rented sector: professionalism and quality-consultation. Summary of responses and next steps". Estimated costs associated with the register, which will be met from registration fees, are provided in the relevant impact assessment published as part of the consultation exercise on the Government response to the Rugg Review-"The private rented sector: professionalism and quality"-which took place in the period 13 May to 7 August 2009. Both of these documents can be accessed through the Department's website.

Local Government Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the amount of area-based grant funding to be distributed to local authorities in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-

Barbara Follett: The amounts of area-based grant announced for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are £3,280,108,374 and £4,818,317,187 respectively.
	Decisions about the amount of area-based grant in 2011-12 have not yet been made.

Local Government: Inspections

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost of  (a) local authority reporting to central Government and  (b) local government inspection by external inspectors and auditors; and what recent research his Department has (i) conducted and (ii) commissioned on this matter;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to central Government of inspecting local government; and what recent research his Department has  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned on this matter.

Rosie Winterton: This Department has made no such estimates. Assessment and inspection is carried out by a number of inspectorates, including the Audit Commission which is sponsored by Communities and Local Government (CLG). The cost to the Audit Commission of its assessment and inspection is covered by a mixture of the fees paid by local authorities and direct grant from CLG. In 2009-10, the grant from CLG for the Commission's local government and Fire and Rescue Authority work totalled £20.2 million.
	This Department has not conducted or commissioned any research on these matters. However, the Audit Commission, on behalf of the joint inspectorates responsible for Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), commissioned an independent evaluation of CAA. This is looking at implementation and delivery of the new arrangements, co-ordination across inspectorates and the initial cost to inspected bodies under CAA. The evaluation report is expected to be published in March.
	As part of the Government's Smarter Government White Paper, CLG are leading on commitments to remove indicators that are no longer relevant or needed by April 2010 and reducing the overall number of national indicators against which local authorities will have to report their performance for the next spending period. We are also running a number of Total Place pilots and have invited them to provide information on the costs of assessment and inspection. The Department is preparing a report on Total Place which will issue at Budget 2010. HM Treasury are leading a review of the work and number of inspectorates, supporting the Government's aims to reduce the burdens connected to assessment and inspection.

Mining

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to amend the provisions of policy guidance concerning coal mining and colliery spoil disposal.

Ian Austin: There is no current intention to review existing planning policy on coal mining and colliery spoil disposal.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeowners in Castle Point constituency are in receipt of assistance from the Homeowner Mortgage Protection scheme.

John Healey: For management information on homeowners mortgage support I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden, (Mrs. Spelman) on 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1297W. This information is not monitored at constituency level.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been granted under the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund in each  (a) local authority and  (b) lower layer super output area in each year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) was allocated to eligible local authorities with the authority, freedom and flexibility to best determine the local needs and options. Information is therefore not available for how this was applied to each lower layer super output area (LSOA)
	NRF ran from 2001-02 to 2007-08.
	I have placed in the Library of the House, a table which records the NRF allocation for each local authority area in England from 2001 to 2008.

New Communities Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on  (a) staffing,  (b) administration and  (c) publicity costs in respect of the New Communities Fund.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 23 February 2010,  Official Report, column 474W.
	Because of the decision in 2009 to reallocate resources from the New Communities Fund to other ministerial priorities, the costs incurred by the Department were for staff time spent in the development of options and discussions with stakeholders. It would incur disproportionate costs to provide this information.

New Communities Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on the New Communities Fund; and how many people have participated in the Fund since its inception.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 23 February 2010,  Official Report, column 474W.

New Deal for Communities

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on  (a) staffing,  (b) administration and  (c) publicity costs in respect of the New Deal for Communities programme.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Non-profit Making Associations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2010,  Official Report, column 254W, on non-profit making associations, what outcomes he anticipates from social enterprises and other third sector organisations allocated funding from his Department; and by what mechanisms his Department will measure the performance of social enterprises against targets in the next three years.

Barbara Follett: The Department provides funding which benefits over 150 third sector and social enterprise organisations. The outcomes of this funding vary in different localities and information on these is not held centrally. To gather it would involve disproportionate time and cost.
	In line with greater decentralisation, the Department does not set performance targets for social enterprises. Where the Department directly funds and works with social enterprises, progress and performance are assessed against agreed work plans, milestones and budgets specifically tailored to the individual programme needs.

Property Development: Floods

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of  (a) new and  (b) affordable homes were built in areas at risk from flooding in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 19 January 2010,  Official Report, column 295W.

Second Homes

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the number of second homes in  (a) urban and  (b) rural areas in England.

Barbara Follett: As at October 2009, there were 127,000 second homes in local authority areas classified as urban and 125,000 second homes in those classified as rural.
	The data are as reported by all billing authorities on their annual council tax base (CTB) form. The split into urban and rural areas is based on the DEFRA rural definition and local authority classification. Full details of this can be found on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/rural/rural-definition.htm

Social Rented Housing: Feltham

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in Feltham and Heston constituency  (a) have been improved under the Decent Homes programme in each year of the programme and  (b) do not meet the Decent Homes standard.

Ian Austin: We cannot provide figures at constituency level. We do not hold a figure for the number of properties improved by the London borough of Hounslow each year under the decent homes programme. The number of non-decent homes each year is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Non-decent dwelling estimates-Hounslow 
			   Total stock  Non-decent dwellings  Percentage non-decent 
			 2001 15,091 10,500 70 
			 2002 14,892 10,499 71 
			 2003 14,580 9,243 63 
			 2004 13,879 5,258 38 
			 2005 13,373 2,508 19 
			 2006 12,899 0 0 
			 2007 13,176 0 0 
			 2008 12,942 0 0 
			 2009 13,549 0 0 
			  Source: Annual returns to Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing: Tenants

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 914-5W, on affordable housing, what steps the Tenant Services Authority is taking to assist social landlords with the sexual orientation surveys of tenants;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 914-5W, on affordable housing, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance on the monitoring and evaluation systems; whether any additional funding has been allocated by his Department to local authorities to assist the monitoring and evaluation of the sexual orientation of tenants; whether completing such a form will be a condition of tenancy; and whether requirements will apply to social landlords to report the findings of their sexual orientation surveys to  (a) his Department,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the Government Equalities Office and  (d) the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Ian Austin: There is no statutory requirement on social landlords to monitor or survey the sexual orientation of their tenants and no Government plans to make it a requirement on social landlords to report to any organisation data on the sexual orientation of their tenants. Consequently, no additional funding has been allocated to local authorities by Communities and Local Government specifically to assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the sexual orientation of their tenants.
	The Government does not believe it would be appropriate to make it a requirement that tenants should provide information on their sexual orientation.
	The guidance referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 914-5W, is statutory guidance on the allocation of social housing by local authorities ('Fair and Flexible', issued 4 December 2009). I have arranged for a copy of the guidance to be placed in the Library of the House.

Travelling People: Caravan Sites

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden of 19 January 2010,  Official Report, column 297W, on travelling people: caravan sites, if he will place in the Library a copy of the  (a) planning and enforcement appeal rulings made by the Planning Inspectorate that resulted in the appeal being granted in part or in full and  (b) representations of 24 February 2009.

Ian Austin: Information in respect of  (a) has been deposited in the Library of the House. This shows which of the 75 planning and enforcement appeals on the previous list have been allowed by the Planning Inspectorate either in part or in full. These decisions, for appeals lodged by Green Planning Solutions, can be retrieved from the Planning Portal on
	http://www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal/casesearch.asp
	In respect of  (b), the meeting of the 24 February 2009 was arranged following general issues raised in procedural correspondence over a number of appeals. The agenda, summarised in my previous reply, has also been deposited in the Library of the House. I am advised that no formal notes were made during or after the meeting, but the meeting lasted for about an hour and discussion was general and related directly to the agenda items. No specific and current appeal casework was mentioned.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Manpower

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have been employed in the agricultural sector in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Figures on the total agricultural labour force at June each year have been taken from DEFRA's annual June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture (see notes 1 to 6) and are set out as follows.
	
		
			  Total labour force including farmers and their spouses 
			   Number (thousand) 
			 1997 417.0 
			 1998 415.0 
			 1999 397.2 
			 2000 374.0 
			 2001 368.3 
			 2001(5) 386.7 
			 2002(6) 371.6 
			 2003 354.4 
			 2004 367.5 
			 2005 364.9 
			 2006 361.0 
			 2007 353.1 
			 2008 360.1 
			 2009 363.0 
			 (1) Includes estimates for minor holdings. (2) Estimates have been made for non-respondents. (3) Figures exclude school children but include trainees employed under an official youth training scheme and paid at Agricultural Wages Board rates or above. (4) The figures presented here are not comparable with earlier years' results due to the introduction of new questions in 1998. (5) June 2001 results assuming register improvements had not taken place (comparable with June 2000). (6) June 2001 results including register improvement (not directly comparable with June 2000). 
		
	
	 Changes in labour force estimates
	In 1998, fundamental changes were introduced to the labour questions on the June Agricultural and Horticultural Census in England. It appears that this change in questions may have led to the recording of additional Labour who were not previously included in the returns.
	We therefore advise caution when comparing the 1998 results with previous years. The June 2001 figures include estimates for holdings that have been converted from the temporary register. Further improvements to the register of agricultural holdings have also been made, mainly as a result of livestock tracing. As a result it is not possible to directly compare the June 2000 and June 2001 results. Furthermore, it is not possible to backdate the existing labour series as it is impossible to estimate how long the newly registered holdings have been in existence. However, the June 2001 results have also been calculated assuming the register changes had not taken place to provide comparable figures.

Clothing: Recycling

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage the development of an  (a) industry-wide standard and  (b) voluntary agreement for the collection, sorting, re-use and recycling of second hand clothing.

Dan Norris: DEFRA has co-ordinated the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap, a voluntary industry initiative to improve the environmental and ethical performance of clothing. One aim of the Roadmap is to increase reuse and recycling, including consideration of issues around collection and sorting. In association with industry and stakeholders, we launched the first Sustainable Clothing Action Plan to implement this roadmap in 2009.
	The Clothing Roadmap and supporting research are available on DEFRA's website:
	www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/products/roadmaps/clothing/index.htm

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Dan Norris: The Department does not publish an annual report specifically about communications. Communication is included as a separate item in the departmental annual report.

Departmental Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated  (a) amount and  (b) cost was of energy used in his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: The annual consumption and cost of energy used in buildings on the DEFRA and Executive Agency estate for the last five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2008-09 
			   Total energy consumption (kWh)  Electricity sourced from renewables (kWh) (percentage)  Total energy costs (£) 
			 DEFRA 21,522,953 98 1,510,199 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 5,317,597 44 387,349 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 404,273 25 29,754 
			 RPA 14,498,399 71 950,752 
			 CEFAS 9,379,577 8 622,231 
			 CSL 40,559,266 0 2,332,672 
			 VLA 44,864,924 81 4,297,579 
			 Total 136,546,989 51 10,130,536 
		
	
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   Total energy consumption (kWh)  Electricity sourced from renewables (kWh) (percentage)  Total energy costs (£) 
			 DEFRA 21,340,167 97 1,150,415 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 5,150,307 41 261,864 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 364,406 22 21,399 
			 RPA 13,908,468 69 669,044 
			 CEFAS 9,934,436 15 470,328 
			 CSL 45,196,932 0 1,659,416 
			 VLA 41,968,897 73 2,406,933 
			 Total 137,863,613 49 6,639,399 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			   Total energy consumption (kWh)  Electricity sourced from renewables (kWh) (percentage)  Total energy costs (£) 
			 DEFRA 24,165,459 98 1,570,066 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 4,601,516 42 322,199 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 348,724 27 26,109 
			 RPA 13,099,355 72 932,821 
			 CEFAS 9,283,248 16 609,434 
			 CSL 45,099,918 0 2,388,140 
			 VLA 57,407,464 76 2,686,754 
			 Total 154,005,683 49 8,535,523 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			   Total energy consumption (kWh)  Electricity sourced from renewables (kWh) (percentage)  Total energy costs (£) 
			 DEFRA 30,901,021 98 1,643,946 
			 AH (formerly SVS) 290,692 19 18,671 
			 MFA (formed 1 October 2005) 7,907,833 52 356,441 
			 RPA 14,732,692 75 743,595 
			 CEFAS 9,759,358 18 478,240 
			 CSL 33,780,184 0 1,264,097 
			 VLA 73,434,002 95 1,800,277 
			 Total 170,805,783 62 6,305,267 
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			   Total energy consumption (kWh)  Electricity sourced from renewables (kWh) (percentage)  Total energy costs (£) 
			 DEFRA 34,864,546 83 1,538,497 
			 RPA 13,274,480 77 537,585 
			 CEFAS 9,492,031 19 340,743 
			 CSL 29,170,003 0 925,284 
			 VLA 47,740,084 95 1,065,177 
			 Total 134,541,144 58 4,407,286 
			  Notes: MFA Data in 2005-06 is for the w hole year, w e are unable to split the data before and after the Agency was formed.  Key to table: AH--Animal Health MFA--Marine Fisheries Agency RPA--Rural Payments Agency CEFAS--Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science CSL--Central Science Laboratory VLA--Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Departmental Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) potential annual rental and  (b) total book value of the (i) empty and (ii) occupied residential properties owned by his Department.

Dan Norris: The Department's empty residential property has a combined potential annual rental value of £24,000. The Department's occupied residential property has a potential annual rental value of £222,100, which excludes a number of properties held as part of the letting of a larger holding.
	The Department's empty residential property has a total book value of £207,000. The Department's occupied residential property has a total book value of £5,195,000.
	Of those residential properties currently vacant, the houses are either actively being offered for sale or are already sold subject to contract.

Departmental ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its agencies have spent on font licensing in the last three years.

Dan Norris: There has been no departmental spend on font licensing in the last three years.
	Detailed spend on font licensing by DEFRA agencies is not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental NDPBs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for how many non-departmental public bodies his Department is responsible.

Dan Norris: Information on the number of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) sponsored by my Department is published in the annual Cabinet Office report-"Public Bodies". "Public Bodies 2009" is available online at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/ndpb
	Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which companies were contracted by his Department for the provision of temporary staff in each of the last three years; how many temporary staff were employed by his Department in each such year; and what the monetary value was of contracts with each such company in each such year.

Dan Norris: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The following tables provide information on the companies contracted for the provision of temporary staff in each of the last three years and the monetary value of the contracts with each company in each year. The number of temporary staff employed under these contracts is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  2007-08 
			   £ 
			 Adecco UK Ltd. 1,544,374.05 
			 Office Angels 660,256.89 
			 Badenoch and Clark 380,986.21 
			 Kelly Services UK Ltd. 298,628.19 
			 Morgan Hunt 170,005.97 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 104,040.88 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. 102,148.07 
			 Advantage Professional UK Ltd. 67,606.72 
			 Josephine Sammons Ltd. 47,452.26 
			 PSD Contracts Ltd. 42,572.77 
			 Manpower UK Ltd. 40,369.53 
			 Venn Group 37,606.13 
			 Forum For The Future 35,543.75 
			 Catch 22 34,622.07 
			 Hays Accountancy and Finance 26,669.39 
			 Reed Personnel Services Plc 24,994.34 
			 Stopgap Ltd. 23,092.66 
			 Adept Recruitment 17,416.64 
			 The Boston Consulting Group Ltd. 17,311.68 
			 Cashfriday Ltd. 15,103.46 
			 Central Office of Information 13,379.54 
			 Michael Page International 12,863.09 
			 Student Employment Services Ltd. 8,000.86 
			 Npower 5,509.75 
			 Charter House Recruitment 4,817.13 
			 Allen Lane 3,642.50 
			 Ntrinsic Consulting Ltd. 2,820.00 
			 T R L Ltd. 1,994.75 
			 Gardiner and Theobald 1,373.38 
			 Amqis Consortium 1,157.38 
		
	
	
		
			  2008-09 
			   £ 
			 Office Angels 1,349,114.69 
			 Adecco UK Ltd. 960,372.90 
			 Catch 22 426,740.23 
			 Badenoch and Clark 255,544.56 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 154,031.05 
			 Kelly Services UK Ltd. 138,215.13 
			 Advantage Professional UK Ltd. 99,393.48 
			 Morgan Hunt 97,497.84 
			 Cameo Scientific Ltd. 70,651.35 
			 CDI Anderselite Ltd. 63,355.58 
			 Shell UK Ltd. 62,669.84 
			 Gordon Yates Ltd. 53,739.30 
			 Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd. 46,174.80 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 36,744.23 
			 Hays Accountancy Personnel 35,697.06 
			 The Boston Consulting Group Ltd. 34,623.36 
			 Josephine Sammons Ltd. 33,996.56 
			 Forum For The Future 32,675.00 
			 Manpower UK Ltd. 30,098.53 
			 Aether Ltd. 28,850.01 
			 Brightlite Solutions Ltd. 28,760.27 
			 Michael Page Ltd. 27,054.13 
			 London Films International Ltd. 24,432.39 
			 Hays Accountancy and Finance 23,571.56 
			 Reed Employment Plc 22,779.13 
			 Central Office of Information 13,167.00 
			 Student Employment Services Ltd. 12,442.95 
			 Michael Page International 8,883.76 
			 BETA Technology Ltd. 8,444.85 
			 Russam GMS Ltd. 7,141.50 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. 6,900.00 
			 Reed Personnel Services Plc 4,017.64 
			 Communisis P M S 3,820.00 
			 Engineering Development Trust 2,162.00 
			 T R L Ltd. 1,857.19 
			 Bedford Consulting Ltd. 1,275.78 
			 Law Absolute Ltd. 1,095.57 
		
	
	
		
			  2009-10 (April to January) 
			   £ 
			 Office Angels 1,344,872.05 
			 Adecco UK Ltd. 790,831.01 
			 Michael Page International 160,597.75 
			 Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd. 133,289.19 
			 Badenoch and Clark 128,709.58 
			 Brook Street (UK) Ltd. 126,134.25 
			 Morgan Hunt 97,720.58 
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 88,870.73 
			 Kelly Services UK Ltd. 88,611.77 
			 Aether Ltd. 76,878.71 
			 Amtec Consulting Group 75,289.40 
			 Advantage Professional UK Ltd. 74,377.12 
			 Capita Resourcing Ltd. 61,177.01 
			 Catch 22 57,032.51 
			 Cameo Corporate Services Ltd. 55,699.66 
			 Sand Resources Ltd. 54,107.24 
			 Hays Accountancy and Finance 52,219.38 
			 Alpine Resourcing Ltd. 50,608.58 
			 Hudson Global Resources Ltd. 43,690.42 
			 Tribal Helm Corporation Ltd. 41,921.26 
			 Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd. 37,698.44 
			 Venn Group 29,769.63 
			 Josephine Sammons Ltd. 18,530.43 
			 Monarch Recruitment Ltd. 17,204.62 
			 Stopgap Ltd. 15,762.25 
			 Blue Arrow Personnel Services Ltd. 14,593.13 
			 Russam GMS Ltd. 10,183.25 
			 Student Employment Services Ltd. 8,865.29 
			 Gardiner and Theobald 8,573.56 
			 A E A Technology-SPM Lead Contract 7,570.27 
			 Contractor Umbrella Ltd. 7,400.93 
			 Michael Page Ltd. 6,891.30 
			 Hays Accountancy Personnel 5,404.61 
			 Qi Consulting 3,825.10 
			 Central Office of Information 3,696.00 
			 CDI Anderselite Ltd. 2,314.38 
			 Serco Consulting 2,284.54 
			 Jacqueline Francis 1,250.00

Food: Schools

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what funding his Department has allocated for the creation of school allotments for the purpose of growing food;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to assist teachers in setting up food-growing schemes in schools.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have supported the "Growing Schools" programme since 2001. The programme provides easy access to a wide range of curriculum-based resources and a comprehensive continuous professional development programme for teachers. In the last three years this has been funded at £350,000 per annum. It is up to schools to identify suitable space for food growing.
	DEFRA announced in the Government's new Food Strategy (Food 2030), published in early January, that it would be providing further support to the programme. The new DEFRA funding will build the capacity of the programme and enable a further 65,000 pupils, parents and staff to gain hands-on experience of growing food. This will be included as part of a forthcoming tender exercise which will appoint the contractor for the next phase of the programme.

Newspaper Licensing Agency

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what payments his Department's agencies made to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years.

Dan Norris: The following table shows payments made by the core Department to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years taken from central records.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2000-01 18,837.93 
			 2001-02 42,774.79 
			 2002-03 6,961.88 
			 2003-04 10,746.66 
			 2004-05 54,678.12 
			 2005-06 164,178.46 
			 2006-07 172,749.73 
			 2007-08 180,146.03 
			 2008-09 185,114.84 
			 2009-10 147,589.06

Rats: Greater London

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, column 232W, on rats: Greater London, whether his Department holds a copy of the completed survey report for the period up to 2006.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The next report covering the period up to 2006 will be available soon. It has taken longer than anticipated to ensure comparability of analyses between years for the rodent data from the English House Condition Survey. This has delayed report publication beyond the previously indicated target of 2009.

Rural Payments Agency: Pay

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been paid in bonuses to staff at the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Tim Farron) on 27 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 874-75W.

Textiles: Waste Disposal

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfill.

Dan Norris: The Government consider that landfill should be the last resort for most types of waste. We are assessing the case for restricting a number of biodegradable and recyclable wastes, including textiles, from landfill.
	DEFRA and the devolved administrations have commissioned further research on the options for landfill bans or restrictions in the UK, including the costs, benefits and practical implications. We will publish a consultation on these options in the coming weeks.

TREASURY

Bank Services: Local Government

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his officials have had with  (a) local authorities and  (b) representatives of the government of Iceland on local authority investments in Icelandic banks in 2010.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Bankruptcy: Business

Brian Binley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer against how many businesses HM Revenue and Customs have initiated winding up or bankruptcy action in 2008-09; and how much debt such action recovered.

Stephen Timms: The total number of bankruptcy and winding up petitions filed by HM Revenue and Customs in 2008-09 in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland was 13,181. This has fallen from 2006-07 and 2007-08 when the totals were 17,936 and 14,716 respectively.
	The information on the value of the debt contained within those petitions is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Banks: Pay

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the distribution of money yielded by the one-off levy on any individual discretionary bonus above £25,000 paid by banks to their employees between the pre-Budget report and April 2010.

Stephen Timms: The Government set out their plans for tax and spending at the pre-Budget and Budget reports.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2010,  Official Report, column 520W, on economic and monetary union, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the most recent meeting of the Standing Committee on Preparations for the euro.

Stephen Timms: A copy of the minutes requested has been placed in the Library of the House.

Inheritance Tax: Moray

Angus Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Exchequer received from inheritance tax on estates in Moray constituency in the last five years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available at a sub-regional level. Inheritance tax data is based on a UK wide sample of cases which is designed to produce national level figures and the size of the sample means that we could not currently estimate tax receipts reliably at constituency level.

Local Government: Cost Effectiveness

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 19 January 2010,  Official Report, column 290W, on local government: cost effectiveness, what proportion of the estimated £550 million of savings he expects to result from efficiencies made in respect of waste collection and disposal.

Liam Byrne: The pre-Budget report sets out a number of areas where local government will be able to find significant efficiencies by 2012-13, including waste collection and disposal. It is for individual local authorities to make efficiencies based on local priorities and use of resources in these and other services.

Local Government: Cost Effectiveness

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 19 January 2010,  Official Report, column 290W, on local government: cost effectiveness, whether the proposed £800 million savings by 2012-13 will include efficiency savings made in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12.

Liam Byrne: The pre-Budget report sets out a number of areas where local government will be able to find £800 million per year efficiency savings by 2012-13. These are savings to be delivered by 2012-13 against a baseline year of 2010-11.

Maternity Benefits

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of take-up of the Health in Pregnancy Grant is among parents in each income decile group.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available. Income details are not collected on the Health in Pregnancy claim form.

Tax Collection

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the merits of centralising the collection of amounts owned to all Government departments through one debt collection body.

Liam Byrne: HMT currently has no plans to introduce one debt collection body, but Treasury Ministers continually have policy options under review and recognise the need for joined up approaches.

Taxation

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) P14 and  (b) P35 returns required clerical action in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as the data are not held centrally.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many tax credit overpayments were written off in each month of  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many disputed tax credit overpayments have resulted in no repayment  (a) because of official error and  (b) in total in each month of each year since their introduction; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many tax credit overpayments were disputed in each month  (a) between June 2007 and March 2008 and  (b) since December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not separately record whether a tax credits overpayment is written off in part or in full so the precise information requested is not available. HMRC explains its approach to tax credits overpayments and the circumstances in which customers may not have to pay them back in its Code of Practice 26 "What happens if we've paid you too much tax credit?", available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.pdf
	For information about the numbers of disputed overpayment cases and the number of disputed overpayments written off in part or in full as a result of official error up to and including 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey (Danny Alexander) on 17 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 901-02W, and 20 May 2008,  Official Report, column 212W.
	Information relating to disputed overpayments written off on grounds of official error in 2008-09 and 2009-10 can be found in the following table.
	
		
			   New disputes (around)  Written off in part or full (around) 
			  2008   
			 May - 950 
			 June - 750 
			 July - 1,000 
			 August - 950 
			 September - 1,200 
			 October - 1,350 
			 November - 1,650 
			 December 15,250 1,800 
			
			  2009   
			 January 11,200 2,350 
			 February 8,450 2,200 
			 March 8,600 4,250 
			 April 8,450 4,650 
			 May 6,300 1,650 
			 June 9,000 2,250 
			 July 8,800 2,300 
			 August 10,350 2,150 
			 September 13,750 2,800 
			 October 12,050 2,750 
			 November 15,250 3,400 
			 December 9,450 2,400 
			  Note: The figures for overpayments written off do not directly relate to those disputes that were received in the same period. 
		
	
	The number of tax credit overpayments remitted separately on hardship grounds are compiled annually to the end of October and are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Year to end of October  Number of overpayments remitted 
			 2006 134 
			 2007 2,092 
			 2008 1,176 
			 2009 1,189

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the cost-effectiveness of recovering tax credits debt where deduction from ongoing payments is not possible;
	(2)  what plans he has for the treatment of the remaining £559 million of tax credits overpayments created in 2003-04 that had not been recovered by 31 March 2009;
	(3)  what steps he plans to take to increase the number of opportunities for recovering tax credit overpayments from any subsequent tax credits payments where one award has ceased and a new award started;
	(4)  what changes he proposes to enable a greater number of tax credits customers to repay overpayments through deduction from income and benefits.

Stephen Timms: These issues were included in the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee of Public Accounts report 2009-10: 'HM Revenue and Customs: Improving the Processing and Collection of Tax: Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax and Tax Credits' (HC 97), published on 10 December 2009. The Government will publish their responses to the Committee's Report in a Treasury Minute.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the total tax credit debt was recovered  (a) by deduction from ongoing tax credit payments and  (b) by other means in the 2008-09 tax year.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is on page R39 of HM Revenue and Customs 2008-09 Accounts, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/hmrc-accs-0809.pdf

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

Iain Duncan Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on  (a) children living in poverty and  (b) households in the lowest quartile of annual income of recovery of tax credits overpayments.

Stephen Timms: Processes are in place to ensure that the recovery of overpayments does not cause hardship. HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) policy on the recovery of overpayments is set out in the Code of Practice 26 'What happens if we have paid you too much tax credits?', available at:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.pdf
	Households receiving the maximum tax credits, with no reduction due to income, will have a maximum of 10 per cent. of their award recovered to re-pay an overpayment. Those entitled to the child element above the family element or working tax credit below the maximum award will have a maximum of 25 per cent. of their award recovered in order to repay an overpayment. If a customer cannot meet their living expenses, due to recovery of the overpayment, HMRC may allow more time to repay the overpayment.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to support  (a) Portsmouth and  (b) other local authorities in the achievement of the aims of the Learning Revolution White Paper.

Kevin Brennan: Local authorities have a key part to play in achieving the aims of "The Learning Revolution" White Paper. During 2010-11 we will work with the Skills Funding Agency to develop new Lead accountable bodies, led by local authorities, to take responsibility for funding and planning informal adult learning in order to strengthen local ownership, widen local partnerships and improve coherence between key policies at the local level.
	Funding priorities for 2010-11 are set out in the "Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11", published November 2009. In 2010-11 we will continue to invest £210 million in Adult Safeguarded Learning, reaffirming our White Paper commitments. In the 2009-10 financial year we have invested an additional £20 million in a Transformation Fund which is supporting more than 300 innovative projects to strengthen local infrastructures and widen access to learning for hard-to-reach groups. Funding is supporting two projects in Portsmouth: "Memories are made of this" and the "Portsmouth Informal Learning Project". Portsmouth is also an eligible district for the Community Learning Champions Support Programme grants and can bid for funding to support a second round project.

Adult Education

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what role Adult Safeguarded Learning funds will play in achieving the aims of the Learning Revolution White Paper.

Kevin Brennan: Our funding priorities are set out in the strategy document, "Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11", published November 2009. In 2010-11, we will continue to invest £210 million in Adult Safeguarded Learning-learning for personal, family and community development. This reaffirms our commitment to implementing the vision set out in "The Learning Revolution" White Paper. A new priority will be to encourage Digital Life Skills which can often be embedded with other provision and open up a whole range of new learning opportunities to help thousands of offline adults take their first steps with computers and the internet.
	We want every adult to benefit from a wide choice of learning opportunities. Informal learning can make a profound difference to people's lives by developing family and community cohesion, improving people's health and providing a stepping stone towards training and employment. During 2010-11 we will work with the Skills Funding Agency to develop new lead accountable bodies, led by local authorities, to strengthen local ownership, widen partnerships and improve coherence between policies at the local level.

Apprentices: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many modern apprenticeships have been started in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: Table 1 shows the number of Apprenticeship starts in Essex local authority, Southend-on-Sea local authority, Thurrock local authority and Castle Point parliamentary constituency from academic year 2003-04 onwards, the earliest year for which comparable data is available. Essex is made up of Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock local authorities.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship Programme Starts for Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock local authorities and Castle Point parliamentary constituency, 2003-04 to 2008-09. 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Essex local authority 4,300 4,100 3,900 4,200 5,000 5,200 
			 Southend-on-Sea local authority 500 500 400 400 500 500 
			 Thurrock local authority 400 400 300 400 500 600 
			 Castle Point Parliamentary Constituency 300 290 290 270 340 400 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for Castle Point Parliamentary Constituency are rounded to the nearest 10. Local Authority figures are rounded to the nearest100. 2. Figures are based upon home postcode of the learner. 3. Figures include apprenticeships, advanced apprenticeships and higher level apprenticeships. 4. Essex is made up of Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock Local Authorities.  Source:  Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of Apprenticeship starts by Parliamentary Constituency, Local Authority, Government Office Region and for England is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 17 December, and re-issued on 21 January to include provisional national estimates of the number of apprenticeship starts and achievements in the first quarter of 2009-10:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfrdec09

Apprentices: Per Capita Costs

David Davis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average annual cost to the Government is of an apprenticeship undertaken through the National Apprenticeship Service.

Kevin Brennan: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Children, Schools and Families allocate funding to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for the provision of apprenticeships in England. Planned investment for 16-18 and adult apprenticeships for 2009-10 and 2010-11 financial years is given in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Financial year 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			 16-18 apprenticeships 695,000 780,000 
			 Adult (aged 19 and over) apprenticeships 389,914 398,410 
			  Sources: Adult apprenticeships-BIS Skills Investment Strategy 2010-11, November 2009 16-19 apprenticeships-DCSF 16-19 Statement of Priorities and Investment Strategy 2010-11 
		
	
	Apprenticeships for those aged 16-18 are fully funded by the public purse. For learners aged 19 or over the employer is expected to make a contribution towards the cost of the course.
	The public cost of delivering an apprenticeship varies significantly depending on the industry in which the apprenticeship framework is being delivered; whether the framework is at Level 2 or 3; and whether the participant is in the 16-18, 19-25 or 25+ age group. For example the LSC estimate that it costs £2,749 to deliver a Level 2 adult apprenticeship framework in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools and £4,083 to deliver the Level 3 equivalent framework. Between industries the difference in estimated costs can be more marked. LSC estimate that the cost of delivering a Level 3 adult apprenticeship in clock and watch repair is £13,409 but the cost of an adult apprenticeship at the same level in business and administration is £3,327.
	It is not therefore possible to provide a meaningful average cost to the public purse of an apprenticeship.

Business: Regulation

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the annual cost to businesses of compliance with Government regulations introduced since 27 June 2007 in each  (a) local authority area and  (b) constituency.

Ian Lucas: In October 2009, he Government published the first Total Benefit/Cost ratio of New Regulations, for all legislation that received Royal Assent or was made by Parliament in the previous financial year, 2008-09. This is summarised in the following table:
	
		
			  Measure  Quantified equivalent annual benefits (£ billion)  Quantified equivalent annual costs (£ billion)  Ratio of quantified benefits to costs (rounded) 
			 The Pensions Act 2008 9.95 9.95 1.00 
			 Primary Legislation 3.13 1.11 2.82 
			 Secondary Legislation 11.20 2.01 5.57 
			 Total 24.28 13.07 1.85 
		
	
	These data were calculated from information provided in published Impact Assessments (IAs) and includes all costs and benefits, not only those to business.
	Nationwide data for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Government do not collate data about regulation such as road closure orders that affect business on a purely local basis. It also does not hold data on national regulation at local authority or constituency level.

Departmental Advertising

Pete Wishart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on advertising by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009.

Patrick McFadden: For advertising spend by the Department in 2009/10 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 132W.
	Figures for advertising spend for each non-departmental public body could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 15 February 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 9 February 2010, UIN 317251 to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House spent £331,804 on advertising in 2009. The vast majority of this was spent on informing businesses of their obligations under the Companies Act.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 16 February 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much was spent on advertising by (a) his Department and (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009.
	The Insolvency Service did not spend anything on advertising and marketing in 2009.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 16 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 09 February 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office, an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, spent £122,000 on advertising in 2009.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 24 February 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much was spent on advertising in 2009.
	The National Measurement Office spends very little on advertising and such expenditure is not separately identified in our accounting system. In practice, the principal use of advertising would be for recruitment purposes. Any paid advertising of the Agency or its services would be recorded as part of our marketing expenditure, in the Calendar Year 2009 expenditure on external recruitment advertising in total was £11,852.50 and expenditure on marketing activities as a whole was £12,990.42.

Directgov

John Penrose: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made on the development of a new consumer space for direct.gov.uk; and when he expects it to be launched.

Kevin Brennan: A new consumer area on the DirectGov website was launched on 16 December 2009 and is accessible at www.direct.gov.uk/consumer . This brings together, in one place, information from BIS and a number of other departments on consumer rights, with signposts to further guidance on DirectGov such as managing debt, buying and selling a vehicle and environmental advice.
	Over the next 12 months, BIS will be working with other Government Departments and partner organisations to enhance this area further with consumer content from across Government, including self-help tools and templates.

Economic Participation Programme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will monitor the efficacy of the Economic Participation Programme operated under the auspices of the East of England Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Economic Participation Programme is a matter for both the Board of the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), as an arm's length non-departmental public body, and the local authorities that EEDA contract with for the delivery of the sub-regional elements of the programme. An evaluation of the programme, previously known as "Investing in Communities", was undertaken in 2008 as part of an overall EEDA evaluation and a copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House. This evaluation identified that between 2005 and 2008:
	825 jobs were created; 5,862 people assisted into employment; 92 businesses created; and over 12,800 new skills or qualifications acquired.

Innovation

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the rate of growth of knowledge intensive industries was in  (a) rural areas,  (b) urban areas and  (c) nationally in each year since 1997.

Ian Lucas: Gross value added in knowledge intensive industries and the associated year on year growth for the UK as a whole is detailed in the table below. This corresponds to an annual average growth rate of 5.8 per cent. per annum. Data on a rural versus urban basis are not available.
	
		
			   Gross value added in knowledge-intensive industries (Constant 2000 prices (£ billion)  Percentage growth on previous year 
			 1996 178.8 - 
			 1997 192.6 7.7 
			 1998 211.2 9.7 
			 1999 227.7 7.8 
			 2000 248.0 8.9 
			 2001 259.4 4.6 
			 2002 256.8 -1.0 
			 2003 267.7 4.3 
			 2004 280.9 4.9 
			 2005 294.3 4.7 
			 2006 312.3 6.1 
			 2007 331.3 6.1 
			  Source:  OECD STAN database

Students

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from each UK university have attended a Make it Happen event held by their university in association with his Department; and how many such students have since enrolled on the self-employment and business start-up programme.

David Lammy: The Make it Happen programme is aimed primarily at unemployed graduates, however, students-especially final year students-are not discouraged from attending a Make it Happen event.
	The table attached shows the number of graduates and students from each UK university that have attended one of the Make It Happen events at any convenient university and the number of graduates and students who have registered for the subsequent self employment and business start up programmes from their first availability on 24 September 2009 to 10 February 2010.
	
		
			  Table to show the number of students and graduates from each UK university that have attended a Make it Happen event and the number of students and graduates who have registered for the self-employment and business start-up programmes. 
			  University  Attended MIH Event  Registered for the SE/BSU programme 
			   Students  Graduates  Students  Graduates 
			 TOTAL 452 1087 148 230 
			 Aberystwyth, University of Wales 2 4 1 1 
			 Anglia Ruskin 0 3 0 0 
			 Aston University 6 18 0 0 
			 Bangor, University of Wales 0 1 0 1 
			 Bedfordshire (Uni of Luton), Uni of Bedfordshire 0 3 0 2 
			 Birkbeck, University of London 2 2 0 1 
			 Birmingham City University 4 13 0 0 
			 Bournemouth University 6 40 6 38 
			 Brunel University 5 8 2 1 
			 Buckinghamshire (Bucks) New University 1 0 1 0 
			 Cardiff University 0 4 0 0 
			 City University, London 1 3 0 0 
			 Coventry University 17 10 1 0 
			 Cranfield University 1 3 0 0 
			 De Montfort University (Leicester) 1 6 1 1 
			 Edge Hill University 0 2 0 0 
			 Falmouth, University College 8 4 8 4 
			 Goldsmiths College, University of London 0 6 0 1 
			 Grimsby Institute of Higher and Further Education 0 2 0 0 
			 Heriot Watt University 0 1 0 0 
			 Imperial College London 7 9 0 1 
			 Keele University 0 2 0 0 
			 King's College, University of London 3 5 0 0 
			 Kingston 31 24 31 14 
			 Lancaster University 0 5 0 1 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 19 16 15 7 
			 Liverpool Hope University 3 2 0 0 
			 Liverpool John Moores University 0 8 0 2 
			 London Metropolitan University 2 21 0 4 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 1 4 0 0 
			 London South Bank 0 8 0 0 
			 Loughborough University 0 7 0 1 
			 Manchester Metropolitan University 13 26 1 2 
			 Middlesex University 3 6 3 1 
			 Newcastle University 0 5 0 0 
			 Newman College of Higher Education 1 0 0 0 
			 Nottingham Trent University 1 4 0 0 
			 Open University London 0 8 0 0 
			 Oxford Brookes University 35 13 0 0 
			 Queen Mary, University of London 2 8 1 1 
			 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication 0 1 0 1 
			 Robert Gordon University 0 1 0 0 
			 Roehampton University 1 4 1 1 
			 Royal Holloway, University of London 4 1 4 0 
			 Royal Veterinary College, University of London 0 1 0 0 
			 Sheffield Hallam University 27 27 1 3 
			 Southampton Solent University 2 3 2 3 
			 Staffordshire University 0 4 0 1 
			 Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College 0 3 0 2 
			 Swansea University 0 2 0 0 
			 Thames Valley University 1 5 1 3 
			 The Arts Institute at Bournemouth 0 2 0 0 
			 The Open University 1 1 1 0 
			 Trinity and All Saints College (Leeds) 0 3 0 2 
			 University College for the Creative Arts 2 12 0 4 
			 University College London, University of London 7 7 0 2 
			 University of Aberdeen 1 0 0 0 
			 University of Bath 0 6 0 0 
			 University of Birmingham 4 7 0 0 
			 University of Bolton 9 34 8 31 
			 University of Bradford 2 9 0 4 
			 University of Brighton 18 12 17 10 
			 University of Bristol 0 4 0 1 
			 University of Cambridge 0 4 0 0 
			 University of Central Lancashire 2 13 0 0 
			 University of Chester 0 2 0 0 
			 University of Chichester 0 1 0 0 
			 University of Cumbria 0 1 0 0 
			 University of Derby 17 8 2 1 
			 University of Durham 0 6 0 1 
			 University of East Anglia 0 1 0 0 
			 University of East London 0 6 0 3 
			 University of Edinburgh 0 2 0 0 
			 University of Essex 0 3 0 1 
			 University of Exeter 3 3 3 1 
			 University of Exeter (Cornwall) 1 0 1 2 
			 University of Glamorgan 0 1 0 0 
			 University of Glasgow 0 1 0 0 
			 University of Gloucestershire 0 2 0 1 
			 University of Greenwich 5 14 0 4 
			 University of Hertfordshire 0 3 0 0 
			 University of Huddersfield 1 6 0 3 
			 University of Hull 1 13 0 3 
			 University of Kent 1 6 0 3 
			 University of Leeds 21 16 3 4 
			 University of Leicester 1 3 0 1 
			 University of Lincoln 10 36 0 2 
			 University of Liverpool 11 13 0 0 
			 University of London 2 3 0 0 
			 University of Manchester 16 19 1 0 
			 University of Northampton 0 3 0 1 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 1 2 0 0 
			 University of Nottingham 10 17 1 3 
			 University of Oxford 0 8 0 1 
			 University of Plymouth 8 9 8 7 
			 University of Portsmouth 14 13 14 10 
			 University of Reading 3 2 3 1 
			 University of Salford 5 11 0 0 
			 University of Sheffield 2 15 0 0 
			 University of Southampton 1 2 1 1 
			 University of St Andrews 0 2 0 1 
			 University of Sunderland 0 3 0 1 
			 University of Surrey - Guildford 26 5 1 1 
			 University of Sussex 2 2 2 1 
			 University of Teesside 1 2 0 1 
			 University of the Arts - Camberwell College of the Arts 0 1 0 0 
			 University of the Arts - Central St. Martins 0 3 0 0 
			 University of the Arts - London College of Fashion 0 2 0 1 
			 University of the Arts - London School of Communications 0 3 0 2 
			 University of the Arts London 0 4 0 0 
			 University of the West of England 0 6 0 2 
			 University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 0 1 0 0 
			 University of Warwick 0 9 0 2 
			 University of Westminster 3 8 1 0 
			 University of Wolverhampton 15 19 0 2 
			 University of York 10 9 0 3 
			 York St John University 0 4 0 0 
			 other HE/FE Institution 5 36 2 8

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's definition is of carbon neutrality.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's definition of carbon neutrality was published in October 2009 and is available on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/lc_uk/neutrality/neutrality.aspx
	The definition is
	"Carbon neutral means that-through a transparent process of calculating emissions, reducing those emissions and offsetting residual emissions-net carbon emissions equal zero."

Fuel Poverty: South West

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in each constituency in Devon and Cornwall.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006. The following table shows the number of households in fuel poverty in each constituency in Devon and Cornwall:
	
		
			   Parliamentary constituency  Number of fuel poor households 
			 Cornwall Falmouth and Camborne 6,700 
			  North Cornwall 10,300 
			  St. Ives 8,500 
			  South-East Cornwall 6,500 
			  Truro and St. Austell 7,400 
			
			 Devon East Devon 6,000 
			  Exeter 4,800 
			  North Devon 7,800 
			  Plymouth, Devonport 3,700 
			  Plymouth, Sutton 7,100 
			  South-West Devon 3,100 
			  Teignbridge 6,300 
			  Tiverton and Honiton 6,500 
			  Torbay 7,600 
			  Torridge and West Devon 10,600 
			  Totnes 6,900

Government Departments: Carbon Emissions

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether there are plans to redefine carbon neutrality targets in respect of Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: The Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) framework, including the target for central Government to be carbon neutral by 2012, is under review. An announcement on the new framework will be made shortly.

Natural Gas: Storage

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much gas was taken from  (a) medium,  (b) long and  (c) short range storage on each day in February 2010 for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the volume of gas exported to continental Europe on each of those days.

David Kidney: The table shows the flows of gas out of storage and to and from Europe. This covers the period for which data from national grid (the system operator) was available at the time of searching.
	During the period the UK was a net importer of gas from Europe on each day, although there was some cross-trading of gas (importing from the Netherlands while exporting to Belgium) on some days.
	The relationship between flows patterns can be complex and reflects underlying supply and demand conditions (and thereby prices) at different times and different markets. Contractual and other factors may also play a role. Attempting to map and compare particular supplies of gas into the market to particular flows out of the market would be misleading; what is important is the aggregate supply and demand position.
	During the period the UK was well supplied with gas.
	
		
			   Withdrawals from long range storage in mcm( 1)  Withdrawals from medium range storage in mcm( 2)  Withdrawals from short range storage in mcm( 3)  Exports to continental Europe through the UK in mcm( 4)  Imports into the UK through UK in mcm( 5)  Imports into the UK through BBL in mcm 
			 1 February 2010 44.0 14.2 0.1 13.1 0.0 32.5 
			 2 February 2010 44.2 10.1 0.1 0.0 1.0 30.9 
			 3 February 2010 38.4 7.4 0.1 9.9 0.0 34.0 
			 4 February 2010 30.9 4.6 0.1 0.0 5.4 31.8 
			 5 February 2010 19.5 0.2 0.0 6.5 0.0 32.2 
			 6 February 2010 14.3 1.0 0.0 9.1 0.0 32.8 
			 7 February 2010 17.7 2.0 0.1 7.0 0.0 32.7 
			 8 February 2010 43.4 18.5 0.1 5.5 0.0 32.3 
			 9 February 2010 43.7 23.4 0.2 0.0 3.6 27.7 
			 10 February 2010 43.7 28.7 0.1 0.0 0.6 27.7 
			 11 February 2010 43.8 22.2 0.1 0.0 8.5 27.7 
			 12 February 2010 43.8 13.0 0.0 0.0 6.9 27.4 
			 13 February 2010 37.5 26.9 0.0 0.0 8.3 27.7 
			 14 February 2010 44.5 14.4 0.0 0.0 11.8 27.7 
			 15 February 2010 45.2 11.7 0.1 0.0 11.1 27.6 
			 16 February 2010 42.7 25.3 0.1 0.0 10.4 27.6 
			 17 February 2010 43.4 13.6 0.1 0.0 6.3 31.3 
			 18 February 2010 43.0 15.8 0.1 1.6 0.0 33.1 
			 19 February 2010 43.0 18.6 0.0 11.6 0.0 33.1 
			 20 February 2010 33.2 1.4 0.0 9.0 0.0 32.8 
			 21 February 2010 34.2 2.5 0.1 12.4 0.0 38.4 
			 (1) Long range storage is the Rough facility. (2) Aggregated end of day flows from: Aldbrough, Hatfield Moor, Hole House Farm, Hornsea and Humbly Grove. (3) Aggregated end of day flows from: Avonmouth, Glenmavis and Partington. (4) Exports through the Interconnector; value of 0 assigned to days when the Interconnector was in import mode. (5) Imports through the Interconnector; value of 0 assigned to days when the Interconnector was in export mode.

Warm Front Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether tenants with communal heating systems are eligible for participation in the Warm Front programme.

David Kidney: The provision of measures under the Warm Front scheme to a household will be subject to assessment by the Scheme Manager in accordance with the regulations which govern the scheme. The scheme includes the provision of a range of heating measures including the provision of a central heating system connected to the local community-heating grid, with no more than six radiators, for qualifying households.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2009,  Official Report, column 351W, on Equality and Human Rights Commission: public relations, what payments the Commission has made to  (a) Positif Politics and  (b) APCO Worldwide since its establishment; on what dates and for what purposes; and if she will place in the Library a copy of the contracts under which such payments were made.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has provided the following information about its payments.
	 (a) Positif Politics
	A total of two payments were made to Positif Politics between May and June 2008 for staff training sessions, including seminars on local government elections and the Welsh Assembly legislative system
	£233.83 paid 5 May 2008 (£199.00 plus £34.83 VAT)
	£233.83 paid 24 June 2008 (£199.00 plus £34.83 VAT)
	 (b) APCO Worldwide
	A total of three payments were made to APCO Worldwide between January and June 2008 for work undertaken during the transition period between May and October 2007 when the new commission was being set up. This included the development of a campaign programme which enabled the EHRC to raise awareness of its profile and highlight its key priorities across a range of audiences
	£28,044.02 paid on 16 January 2008 (£23,867.25 plus £4,176.77 VAT)
	£28,032.80 paid on 20 February 2008 (£23,857.70 plus £4,175.10 VAT)
	£28,059.49 paid on 4 June 2008 (£23,880.42 plus £4,179.07 VAT)
	Contracts are Commercial in Confidence and as a consequence will not be placed in the Library.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Business Interests

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality which organisations have received funding from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) where a Commissioner or employee of the EHRC  (a) is a member of and  (b) has a financial or other interest in the organisation concerned.

Maria Eagle: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) does not collect information pertaining to the membership or other interests of its staff.
	The Commission's grant assessment framework requires all staff involved in the assessment process to declare their interests and to abstain from any discussions, debate or assessment related to applications where a conflict of interest might arise.
	Of the 61 organisations to be funded in 2009-10, staff interests were declared in relation to the following five organisations:
	The Lesbian and Gay Foundation
	Lincolnshire YMCA
	Living Options Devon
	Families Need Fathers
	The Runnymede Trust
	However none of the staff involved in the assessment process had a financial interest in any organisation funded by the Commission.
	The Commission does collect information pertaining to the membership or other interests of its Board of Commissioners.
	One member of the Board of Commissioners had an interest in a funded organisation in 2009-10 (as chief executive of Stonewall). This interest was declared and the Commissioner was not involved in the grant assessment panel, the Grants Committee, or any other board level decisions on grant funding.
	Eight new Commissioners' appointments took effect on 4 December 2009 and the register of interests pertaining to these individuals is being compiled. However, these Commissioners played no role in the round of grant-making referred to.

Faith Schools

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether provision will be included in the Equality Bill to permit any publicly-funded faith schools to require teaching staff to promote the ethos of the relevant religious faith; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: We would expect all staff at schools to act in accordance with the ethos of their school, as we would expect them to maintain standards of behaviour and a high educational standard.
	The Equality Bill maintains exceptions contained in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA), which permit faith schools to discriminate on religious grounds in relation to certain staff. These exceptions are different according to the different types of maintained faith schools.
	Voluntary aided schools may apply religious criteria to all applicants to teaching posts. Voluntary controlled and foundation schools are required to have reserved teachers who are appointed specifically to teach religious education. These reserved teachers must be appointed for their fitness and competence to teach religious education according to the tenets of the relevant faith; they may account for up to a fifth of all the teaching staff and may include the head teacher. In these schools such religious criteria cannot be applied to any other teaching posts.

Faith Schools

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether provision will be included in the Equality Bill to empower governors of any publicly-funded faith school to decline employment to staff or applicants for teaching posts who are not prepared to teach pupils in accordance with the ethos on values of the relevant religious faith.

Maria Eagle: The Equality Bill maintains exceptions contained in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA), which permit faith schools to discriminate on religious grounds in relation to certain staff. These exceptions are different according to the different types of maintained faith schools. Voluntary aided schools may apply religious criteria to all applicants to teaching posts.
	Voluntary controlled and foundation schools are required to have reserved teachers who are appointed specifically to teach religious education. These reserved teachers must be appointed for their fitness and competence to teach religious education according to the tenets of the relevant faith; they may account for up to a fifth of all the teaching staff and may include the head teacher. In these schools such religious criteria cannot be applied to any other teaching posts.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Building Schools for the Future Programme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools that have received Building Schools for the Future funding have been  (a) rebuilt,  (b) remodelled and  (c) refurbished.

Vernon Coaker: Of 146 schools that have benefited from Building Schools for the Future funding, 91 are deemed to be new build (built on 70 per cent. or more of the floor area). This provides for 62 per cent. of the total number of schools.
	14 schools have benefited from major remodelling (50-70 per cent. of floor area) and 16 from minor remodelling (20-50 per cent. of the floor area). This provides for 21 per cent. of the total number of schools.
	Six schools are deemed to be refurbished (0-20 per cent. of the floor area). This provides for 4 per cent. of the total number of schools.
	19 schools (13 per cent.) have received funding for ICT only.

Citizenship: Hemsworth

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people in Hemsworth constituency have received lessons on citizenship since that subject was made part of the national curriculum.

Diana Johnson: Citizenship is a part of the national curriculum which is compulsory for all pupils registered at maintained secondary schools. We do not collect data on the delivery of any curriculum subject and therefore cannot say how many young people have received lessons on citizenship in Hemsworth since it became a compulsory subject in 2002.

Class Sizes: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average staff to pupil ratio is in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Milton Keynes.

Diana Johnson: The following table provides the pupil:adult ratios for local authority maintained primary and secondary schools in Milton Keynes local authority, January 2009.
	
		
			  Within school pupil:adult ratio (PAR)( 1)  in local authority maintained primary and secondary schools. Year: January 2009. Coverage: Milton Keynes local authority 
			   PAR 
			 Primary 11.3 
			 Secondary 10.1 
			 (1) The within school PAR is calculated by dividing the total full-time equivalent (FTE) number of pupils on roll in schools by the total FTE number of all teachers and support staff employed in schools, excluding administrative and clerical staff.  Source: School Census

Departmental Accountancy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any written instructions have been provided to the Accounting Officer for his Department and its predecessors in accordance with paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since May 1997.

Diana Johnson: I can confirm that no written instruction has been provided from Ministers to the Department's current Accounting Officer or his predecessors, since May 1997, in respect of an action that could be considered to breach the requirements of propriety or regularity.

Departmental Buildings

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost to the public purse was of the principal staircase connecting the ground floor and the restaurant at his Department's offices at Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street.

Diana Johnson: The costs incurred for the staircase to link the ground floor and lower ground floor, where the Department's meeting rooms, library, restaurant and drop-in work facilities are situated, was £191,917. The work increased the usable floor area of the lower ground floor by 13 per cent.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether  (a) his Department and  (b) associated non-departmental public bodies plan to sign up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage in 2010; and if he will publish the (i) criteria and (ii) research upon which such a decision will be taken.

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the  (a) Department,  (b) agencies and  (c) non-departmental public bodies for which he has responsibility intend to sign up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage; and if he will publish the research or criteria on which decisions about participation in the campaign have been based.

Diana Johnson: DCSF Headquarters (comprising our main buildings at Runcorn, Darlington, Sheffield and London) has signed up to the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage. Information is not held centrally on whether the Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) intend to sign up.
	Within the Department, there is support from the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families for the 10:10 climate campaign. Trajectories for carbon savings are monitored as part of reporting DCSF progress towards meeting Sustainable Development in Government carbon reduction targets. A review of the portfolio of projects targeted at reducing carbon considered projected CO2 savings for 2010 sufficient to meet the 10:10 campaign for cutting carbon usage.

Departmental Consultants

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much was spent on external consultants and advisers by  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) non-departmental public body and (ii) executive agency for which his Department is responsible in 2009.

Diana Johnson: The cost for consultants, both for the Department and its non-departmental public bodies and executive agencies, cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will break down the proposed £350 million of savings from his Department and its non-departmental public bodies, as referred to on page 110 of the pre-Budget report, Cm 7747; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: While we have yet to determine exactly how these additional savings will be delivered, we will be working across the Department and with our NDPBs to identify the most effective way to achieve them without damaging outcomes for children, young people and families yet to determine.

Departmental Pay

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department and its predecessor in each year since 2003.

Diana Johnson: In the Department the following amounts were paid as non-consolidated performance related awards in each year since 2003.
	
		
			  Performance year  Total of non-consolidated payments (£ million) 
			  DFES  
			 2003-04 1.5 
			 2004-05 1.8 
			 2005-06 1.9 
			 2006-07 2.1 
			   
			  DCSF  
			 2007-08 1.9 
			 2008-09 1.9 
		
	
	The information for 2003-04 to 2006-07 refers to the former Department for Education and Skills (DFES).
	Non-consolidated performance payments, are subject to strict criteria in line with the Government's policy on public sector pay. Senior civil service non-consolidated payments are determined as part of a central performance management framework managed by the Cabinet Office. Payments for other grades are subject to the pay remit process and reflect previous pay settlements. Non-consolidated performance payments have to re-earn each year and do not add to future pay bill costs (e.g. pensions) and are an integral element of the reward package for staff.

Departmental Pay

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) average and  (b) highest non-consolidated performance-related payment in cash terms was for senior civil servants in his Department and its predecessor, in each of the last five years.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   (a) average non-consolidated performance related payment for senior civil servants  (b) highest non-consolidated performance related payment for senior civil servants 
			 2007-08 9,753 25,000 
			 2008-09 8,732 15,000 
		
	
	The information for 2005-07, for the former Department for Education and Skills (DfES), is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs. Non-consolidated performance payments are used to drive high performance and form part of the pay award for members of staff who demonstrate exceptional potential, for example by exceeding targets or meeting challenging objectives. The percentage of the pay bill set aside for performance-related awards for the senior civil service is based on recommendations from the independent senior salaries review body. Non-consolidated variable pay awards are funded from within existing pay bill controls, and have to be re-earned each year and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.

Departmental Responsibilities

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have had with members of the public in the last three years.

Diana Johnson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of people on a regular basis as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland of 2 February 2010,  Official Report, column 292W, on education maintenance allowance, if he will direct the acting chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council to send a copy of the letter to the Editor of the Official Report for publication.

Iain Wright: holding answer 22 February 2010
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) received, on 9 February, a copy of the letter Geoff Russell, the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) acting chief executive, sent to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) with the information requested. A copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.

Free School Meals

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of students in  (a) Romford and  (b) the London borough of Havering are eligible to receive free school meals.

Diana Johnson: The requested information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, primary( 1)  and state funded secondary( 1,2)  schools: Number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals( 3) , As at January 2009 
			   Nursery and primary schools( 1)  State funded secondary schools( 1,2) 
			   Number of pupils( 4)  Number of pupils eligible for FSM  Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM  Number of pupils( 4)  Number of pupils eligible for FSM  Percentage of pupils eligible for FSM 
			 Havering local authority 19,190 2,280 11.9 16,640 1,500 9.0 
			 Romford constituency 6,880 770 11.2 4,540 440 9.7 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Those eligible may choose not to take up their offer of a free school meal for various reasons, e.g. through preference or through non-attendance on the day. Pupils are counted as eligible only if they meet the eligibility criteria and make a claim. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Gifted Children: Salford

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in Salford have participated in gifted and talented programmes in each year for which information is available.

Diana Johnson: Through the School Census schools are asked to confirm the number of gifted and talented pupils they have identified.
	The tables show the number and percentage of children identified as gifted and talented in the Salford local authority in the January census between 2006, when the question was first asked, and 2009.
	2006 records include Secondary G&T pupil data only. Otherwise, figures include Primary(1) and Secondary(1,2) school data broken down by the number(3) and percentage of gifted and talented pupils.
	(1) All data includes middle schools as deemed.
	(2) All data includes City Technology Colleges and Academies.
	(3) All data shows solely registered pupils only.
	
		
			  Salford local authority 
			  As at January each year 
			   Maintained Primary Schools  State-funded Secondary Schools  Primary and Secondary Schools 
			   Number of gifted and talented pupils  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils  Number of gifted and talented pupils  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils  Number of gifted and talented pupils  Percentage of gifted and talented pupils 
			 2009 1,310 6.9 1,076 9.6 2,390 7.9 
			 2008 800 4.2 1,360 11.9 2,160 7.1 
			 2007 820 4.3 1,610 13.5 2,430 7.9 
			 2006 - - 1,500 12.1 1,500 12.1 
			  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	A data table showing information for all local authorities in England has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Learning Disability: Salford

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps have been taken to improve educational outcomes for children with  (a) moderate and  (b) severe learning difficulties in Salford; and what vocational training opportunities are available to such people.

Diana Johnson: Salford has been focusing on narrowing the gap in achievement between all pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and their peers, working with schools on using the inclusion development programme, which improves the skills of the workforce in meeting the needs of children with SEN and preparing to roll-out progression guidance, which supports schools in setting high expectations for what children with SEN should achieve.
	Salford's special schools are increasingly providing out-reach support to mainstream schools to build their capacity and better support their pupils.
	Salford is also part of the Greater Manchester Challenge and is benefiting from additional investment to extend the great practice that already exists within the city region, finding innovative methods and local solutions to crack the cycle of disadvantage and educational underachievement.
	As a result, Salford has narrowed the gaps between pupils with SEN and their peers at both key stage 2 and key stage 4. The percentage of pupils with SEN making three levels of progress across key stage 3 and 4 has also risen significantly.
	The LSC has invested funding into a variety of projects which focus on improving educational outcomes in Salford. It is recognised that a high proportion of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) when they leave school will have SEN. Current projects include:
	Providing additional support and personalised learning programmes to young people who, during key stage four, are identified as becoming at risk of disengaging from learning.
	Working with learners in an individual way through foundation learning to deliver clear progression pathways; and
	Engagement with employers to develop supported work placements and training and to provide progression routes for learners with more complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. It will also help partners to build capacity and provide adult learners with opportunities to develop their skills.
	The funding set aside for expenditure on SEN in 2009-10 by Salford LA is £23,803,000(1).
	(1) These figures include the Individual Schools' Budget for special schools, spending in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as "notional SEN", the centrally retained element of the school budget, and the SEN element of the LA budget.

Personal Social and Health Education

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to ensure that teaching of personal, social, health and economic education meets the specific needs of  (a) deaf and  (b) disabled children.

Diana Johnson: The Children, Schools and Families Bill currently before Parliament will make personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education statutory. We will be discussing with the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency and with external organisations, including those representing special educational needs and disability, on the support teachers will require to implement the statutory requirements.
	For the current non-statutory framework at key stages 1 and 2, the Training and Development Agency has produced a training toolkit "Including Pupils with SEN and/or Disabilities in Primary PSHE and Citizenship". The toolkit explains how teachers need to anticipate the barriers to taking part and learning particular activities, what lessons or a series of lessons may pose for pupils with particular SEN and/or disabilities; and how teachers need to consider ways of minimising or reducing those barriers so that all pupils can fully take part and learn. It includes advice on pupils with sensory needs and pupils with disabilities.

Primary Education: Pupils

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended primary schools with more than  (a) 400,  (b) 500,  (c) 600,  (d) 750 and  (e) 1,000 pupils in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: The requested information is in the table.
	
		
			  Maintained primary schools( 1) : number of pupils by size of school( 2) , as at January 2009 in England 
			   Number( 3)  Percentage 
			 Total number of pupils 4,074,890 100.0 
			 Pupils attending schools with >400 pupils 1,091,840 26.8 
			 Pupils attending schools with >500 pupils 307,850 7.6 
			 Pupils attending schools with >600 pupils 170,340 4.2 
			 Pupils attending schools with >750 pupils 24,990 0.6 
			 Pupils attending schools with >1,000 pupils 0 0.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes solely registered pupils. (3) Pupils included in schools with more than 500 pupils are also included in schools with more than 400 pupils, and so on.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

School Meals: Finance

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1072W, on school meals: finance, what political and policy opinion formers were identified by the stakeholder mapping exercise of the School Food Trust; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the desk research report produced by Tetra Strategy.

Diana Johnson: This information is not held by the Department and is a matter for the School Food Trust. Following the hon. Member's previous question, the terms of reference were placed in the Library.

Schools: Health Hazards

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he has made an assessment of the merits of ensuring that there are no wireless device radiations in  (a) schools and  (b) childcare centres.

Vernon Coaker: The Department considers the merits of wireless device radiations in schools or child care centres on the basis of assessments and advice provided by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The HPA advises the Government in relation to the protection of communities from radiation hazards, including those associated with exposure to non-ionising radiation such as the radio waves from wireless communication systems. The HPA concluded that there is no consistent evidence to date that exposure to radio waves from wireless networks adversely affects the health of the general population and that there is no reason why schools and others should not use Wi-Fi equipment.

Schools: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) secondary schools,  (b) pupil referral units and  (c) special schools (i) were in the National Challenge and (ii) had been in the National Challenge for more than (A) one year, (B) two years and (C) three years on the latest date for which information is available.

Vernon Coaker: Currently there are 247 secondary schools below the National Challenge benchmark (less than 30 per cent. of pupils achieving five A*-C grade GCSEs including English and maths). The programme started in June 2008 and therefore no secondary schools have been in receipt of National Challenge support for more than two years.
	However, of the 247 schools currently below the benchmark, 168 have been below this level for over two years, 147 for over three years and 133 for over four years.
	Pupil referral units and special schools are not supported by National Challenge as the programme only supports maintained mainstream schools.

Schools: Standards

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary schools,  (b) secondary school,  (c) pupil referral units and  (d) special schools (i) were in special measures, (ii) had been in special measures for more than a year and (iii) had been in special measures for more than two years on the latest date for which information is available.

Vernon Coaker: Data on schools in Ofsted categories is published termly by Ofsted. The latest data was published on 24 November 2009 and provides information on schools in categories as of 31 August 2009. The following table provides the information on the numbers of institutions placed in the Ofsted category of special measures, and the length of time institutions have been in that category. This information can be accessed at:
	http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research
	
		
			  Number of institutions in special measures as at 31 August 2009 
			   (a) Primary schools  (b) Secondary schools  (c) Pupil referral units  (d) Special schools  Total 
			 (i) Total schools 131 44 11 7 193 
			 (ii) 1+ years 53 17 3 2 75 
			 (iii) 2 + years 3 2 0 1 6

Sure Start Programme

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Sure Start centres have been opened since 2005  (a) nationally and  (b) in Milton Keynes; and how much capital funding has been allocated to such centres.

Dawn Primarolo: Please see table 1 for the Sure Start Children's Centres designated since 2005.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Milton Keynes  England 
			 2005 1 254 
			 2006 2 603 
			 2007 5 836 
			 2008 4 1,029 
			 2009 6 471 
			  Note:  This table does not include centres designated before 2005. At the end of December 2009 there were a total of 3,381 designated Sure Start Children's Centres including 19 centres in Milton Keynes. 
		
	
	The Department allocates capital funding for Sure Start Children's Centres and their predecessor Sure Start Local Programmes to local authorities. It is for local authorities to decide how to allocate the grant flexibly to best meet their local objectives.
	In 2004 local authorities received a two year allocation (2004-06). Since 2006-07 all children's centres capital formed part of the main capital block of the Sure Start Early Years and Childcare Grant. Please see table 2 for the Milton Keynes and national capital allocations from 2004-06 and 2009-10.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Milton Keynes  England 
			 2004-06 512,168 320,870,605 
			 2006-07 1,330,667 272,254,576 
			 2007-08 2,579,838 545,033,570 
			 2008-09 1,647,002 81,000,006 
			 2009-10 2,263,493 169,000,002

Taxis

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department spent on taxi fares in each of the last five years.

Diana Johnson: Details of the expenditure on taxi fares for financial years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 319,519 
			 2007-08 247,738 
			 2006-07 268,857 
			 2005-06 113,810 
		
	
	The expenditure is based on staff travel claims and approved invoices received from taxi companies paid via the Department's accounts payable system. Expenditure on taxi travel in the financial years prior to 2005-06 was recorded under a general heading of "travel expenses" and is not separately identifiable for these years.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 as a result of Machinery of Government change, and the expenditure recorded here, prior to this date, relates to that of its predecessor department, the Department for Education and Skills.

Truancy: Gifted Children

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils with gifted and talented status were classed as persistent truants in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003,  (c) 2006 and  (d) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: The following table shows the number of pupils identified as gifted and talented with the number and percentage of those pupils who were classed as persistent absentees for 2006/07 and 2007/08, the most recent year for which data are available.
	Persistent absence includes both authorised and unauthorised absence. Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
	Information on persistent absentees is not available for 1997 and 2003.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2)  persistent absentees within the gifted and talented cohort( 3, 4) -England 
			   Number of gifted and talented enrolments( 5)  Number of gifted and talented enrolments who are persistent absentees  Percentage of gifted and talented enrolments who are persistent absentees  Percentage of all enrolments who are persistent absentees 
			 2006/07 639,000 10,250 1.6 4.1 
			 2007/08 704,620 9,320 1.3 3.6 
			 (1) Includes city technology colleges and academies (including all-through academies). (2) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (3) Persistent absentees are defined as having 64 or more sessions of absence (authorised and unauthorised) during the year, typically over 20 per cent. overall absence rate. (4) Pupils who were identified as gifted and talented at the time of the spring census. Where gifted and talented information was missing in the spring census, information collected in the summer census has been used. (5) Number of pupil enrolments in schools. Includes pupils on the school roll for at least one session who are aged between five and 15, excluding boarders. Some pupils may be counted more than once (if they moved schools during the school year or are registered in more than one school).  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Youth Task Force

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the remit of the Youth Taskforce is; how much his Department has allocated to the programme for  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; what measures he uses to assess the performance of the taskforce; what activities it is undertaking; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government established the Youth Taskforce to prevent and tackle the antisocial and offending behaviour which can blight communities and ruin lives. The Youth Taskforce works across Government and with partners up and down the country to strengthen local delivery of services for the most challenging and vulnerable young people.
	The current Youth Taskforce Programme Budget is £21.916 million in 2009-10, although this figure could change following completion of the Spring Supplementary procedure and should not be considered final. The indicative Youth Taskforce programme budget for 2010-11, reflected in the Department's Programme Budget Control System, is currently £12.296 million although it is expected to increase to approximately £22 million once funding for the cross-Government Youth Crime Action Plan is confirmed. The Youth Taskforce programme budget is one part of the broader cross-Government investment to tackle youth crime and antisocial behaviour.
	The Youth Taskforce Action Plan and the Youth Crime Action Plan set out the Government's approach to preventing and tackling youth crime and antisocial behaviour. The Youth Taskforce is driving delivery of both Action Plans, working with more than 80 local authorities and their partners across the country to ensure that every area can deliver an appropriate response to the needs of vulnerable young people. The most recent Youth Taskforce Progress Report is available at:
	www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ytf
	The work of the Youth Taskforce contributes to a continued reduction in the number of first-time entrants to the criminal justice system aged 10-17 (PSA 14), and in the number of people who consider young people hanging around to be a problem (British Crime Survey). There are ongoing evaluations of all Youth Taskforce programmes. Final reports are due in March 2011, and will be published thereafter.